Fifty Shades of Pride & Prejudice
by StrawberryPajamas
Summary: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man who is not searching for love will find it in the most unexpected way. Ana Steele is in no rush to walk down the aisle, but her resolve is tested when a mysterious man with a rude disposition comes to town. Christian Grey could never win over her heart… could he? A modern-day Pride & Prejudice romantic comedy, no BDSM
1. A truth universally acknowledged

**AN: I've never done this before, but I have an idea for a story and I couldn't resist writing the first chapter before I wrote it in full for you guys :) I hope you enjoy this little teaser!**

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**Summary: **It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man who is not searching for love will find it in the most unexpected way. Ana Steele is in no rush to walk down the aisle, but her resolve is tested when a mysterious man with a rude disposition comes to town. Christian Grey could never win over her heart… could he? A modern-day Pride & Prejudice romantic comedy, no BDSM

_**Fifty Shades of Pride & Prejudice**_

**Chapter 1: A truth universally acknowledged**

While it wasn't necessarily the classiest place in town, the Portland Community Center was a nice spacious area for the Steele family to host Raymond's 50th birthday party. The place was plenty big, and it was easy to rent out for the day which was a definite bonus. The large room was currently filled with dozens of tables, fold-out chairs, and balloon centerpieces, and there was an area set off to the side where the food, drinks, and - most importantly - birthday cake sat for everyone to enjoy.

"This all looks amazing, sweetheart," Ray exclaimed jovially to his daughter for the umpteenth time that day. Despite turning fifty today, Ray Steele didn't look a day over forty with his dark cropped hair, muscular physique (after his years in the Marines), and sparkling brown eyes still full of life. Lots of people had arrived already for the birthday party, and the large room was filled with chatting people, laughter, and little children running and goofing around. "So many people are here already. Did you invite everyone we know?"

"Mostly just your work friends," Ana shrugged, smiling as she gazed around the room as well. "Grandma and Grandpa are coming a bit later though, and Uncle Richard is out of town, but he's sending you your present in the mail."

"Even so, this is all wonderful darling," Ray smiled, and he kissed his daughter on the cheek, causing her to giggle. "I never expected this sort of turnout. Please let your sisters know how much I appreciate you all doing this."

"Will do," Ana assured him, and a moment later Ray was called away by some of his friends wanting to wish him a happy birthday.

Ana made her way across the room, searching for her older sister, and finally found her by the food table arranging the various dishes and platters.

"Hi Kate - need some help?" Ana asked. Kate, who was wearing a cute blue dress that accentuated her beautiful blonde curls, glanced up and smiled at Ana.

"Thank you Ana, but I think I've got it all handled here," she said, gazing at the spread before her, placing her hands on her hips. "I may need your help passing out plates and forks when it's time to cut the cake, though. Do you know where Mom and Leila are?"

Ana glanced around the room, and immediately noticed her mother conversing animatedly with a large group of people in the middle of the room. "Mom's probably going to be too preoccupied with the party to help out all that much."

Kate chuckled. "Can't say I'm surprised. Do you think Leila would help us out then?"

Ana's eyes cast around the room for their little sister, who she spotted leaning against a back wall and texting on her phone. She was looking rather sullen today in a black sweatshirt, skinny jeans, and Converse sneakers. "Leila!" Ana called out to her, and Leila glanced up at her. "Come here, we need help with the food!"

Leila responded with a sarcastic smirk and flipping her the finger before turning back to her phone. Ana looked at Kate, eyebrows raised.

"Was I that bratty when I was sixteen?" she asked fastidiously, and Kate giggled.

"Oh, give her a break - she wanted to hang out with her friends today and we wouldn't let her," Kate said, rearranging another one of the platters on the table. "She's just going to have to put up with all of us for the next few hours."

"More like _we're _going to have to put up with _her _for the next few hours," Ana rolled her eyes.

The party commenced, and many more people began to arrive at the community center. A lot of them were people Ana didn't know very well since they were mostly work acquaintances with Ray. He ran the most successful carpentry shop in town, and he was friendly with a lot of the local vendors, many of whom Ana had only met once or twice before in the past.

"…Whoa, who's that?" Kate suddenly asked. She and Ana had been busy refilling the punch bowl, and Ana distractedly glanced up at her sister.

"What?"

Kate nodded toward the door, and Ana looked over - their dad was greeting a man who had just walked in. He looked no older than twenty-five, and in addition to his sandy blonde hair, muscled physique, and cute smile, Ana could easily tell why Kate had a sudden interest in him. Kate blushed and looked away when she noticed Ana smirking at her.

"He must be another one of Dad's work friends," Ana said, looking back over at him. The handsome guy was soon joined by another man who was a bit taller, and had messy copper-colored hair. Ana thought he was even better looking than the blonde guy, though he wasn't smiling - he was actually gazing around at the party with an annoyed frown on his face, as if he wanted to be anywhere but here right now.

"The blonde guy is pretty cute, but his friend looks like he just smelled something nasty," Ana pointed out, turning back to the food.

"I've never seen either of them before. Where do you think Dad knows them from?" Kate asked. She glanced up toward the door again and her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh my God, they're coming over."

Ana glanced up too, and sure enough, Ray was leading the two men toward the food table, where Kate and Ana were standing. The two girls quickly tried to act busy as they rearranged the platters of food for the hundredth time.

"Ana - Kate," Ray greeted his daughters, and they both looked up at him. He was standing before them with the two handsome guys - the blonde was smiling at Kate in particular. "I'd like to introduce you to Elliot Adams. He runs a construction business up in Seattle, and I've been working on a project with him down here for the past few weeks. Elliot, this is my oldest daughter Kate and my middle daughter, Ana."

"Nice to meet you," Ana smiled and shook Elliot's hand.

"Nice to meet you too," Elliot smiled at her before turning to Kate, giving her a wide grin. He took her hand, and she blushed. "Nice to meet you, Kate."

"You too, Elliot," Kate smiled at him, and Ana couldn't help but notice her voice get a bit breathier. "Um… our little sister Leila is over there standing by the wall."

"Oh. So there's three of you, then?" Elliot glanced over his shoulder at Leila before smiling back at Kate.

"Yup. Three daughters and no sons," Ray chuckled. "I really had my hands full with them when they were growing up, I'll tell you that much."

Elliot, Kate, and Ana all laughed, and Ana couldn't help but notice Elliot's friend didn't so much as smile.

Someone then came over to wish Ray a happy birthday, and he excused himself before walking away. Elliot turned back to Ana and Kate.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce my friend," Elliot looked over at the other guy. "Kate, Ana - this is Christian Grey. He's a friend of mine from Seattle who's working with me down here in Portland for the next few weeks."

"Nice to meet you," Ana smiled at him, and he smiled and nodded back at them. He didn't shake their hands.

"Would you guys like some food?" Kate asked, gesturing to the table she and Ana had been tending to.

"Yeah, definitely," Elliot grinned, and for some reason Kate blushed as she smiled back.

"Great. Let me get you a plate."

Kate and Elliot busied themselves with the food, chatting with each other as they walked toward the other end of the table, and Ana and Christian were left by themselves. Ana looked up at Christian and smiled politely.

"Would you like something to eat too?" she asked, gesturing to the food on the table.

"No, thank you," he said stiffly. There was another short pause.

"So you work for Elliot, then?" Ana asked, trying to find some topic of conversation so standing here wouldn't feel so awkward.

"No. I work _with _him," Christian corrected her. "I run my own business in Seattle called Grey Enterprise Holdings. Elliot runs his construction company and I'm just helping him out with some of his projects while we're here."

"Oh," Ana said in surprise. "I see."

"My company deals in acquisitions, and there are actually a few businesses down here in Portland I've been looking to acquire," Christian went on, gazing at the party around them. She didn't fail to notice the bored look on his face.

"Well, good luck with that," Ana said charitably. "Excuse me."

She walked past him and headed over to Leila, not at all sorry to leave that awkward conversation.

"Hey," Ana said, but Leila didn't look up from her phone. "Can you at least look at me when I talk to you?"

Leila rolled her eyes before looking up at her sister. "I don't want to help you and Kate with the food."

"Fine, I won't make you. Although I'm sure putting out platters of food is far more interesting than whatever it is you're doing on your phone," Ana said amusedly, crossing her arms. "Filling out college applications, I assume?"

"Ha ha," Leila smiled sarcastically. "How's your online school working out for you?"

"For the millionth time - it's not an online _school_. It's online courses at WSU," Ana insisted. "And they're going very well, as a matter of fact. I'm graduating at the end of next semester."

"Whatever," Leila crossed her arms too and leaned back against the wall again. "If I go to college I'm going to go to an actual campus, like Kate did at Corban."

"You can do whatever you want, Ladybug," Ana smiled, calling Leila by the nickname she and Kate had given her as children. "Just know it's going to cost a lot more if you do that. Online courses may not have the same benefits of the whole 'college experience', but it's definitely a lot more affordable."

Leila didn't respond as her attention was drawn back to her phone, and Ana turned back toward the party. She glimpsed Elliot and Kate still talking to each other near the food table, and Ana was happy to see the blush on Kate's face as she smiled at Elliot. Kate hadn't dated anyone in over a year, Ana knew, and she was pleased to see her sister interested in a guy again.

Christian, on the other hand, was standing off to the side by himself and not talking to anyone as he gazed around the room. Ana couldn't resist rolling her eyes when she saw him - he wasn't even trying to mingle or look like he was having a good time. Leila at least could hold a conversation with someone when she wasn't being her usual snarky teenage self… Christian just seemed like kind of an asshole.

Ana saw Elliot excuse himself from Kate and walk over to Christian. Ana and Leila were close enough so that she could overhear what they were saying: "C'mon Christian, are you seriously just going to stand around here and not talk to anybody? You agreed to come with me today and socialize."

"You've apparently already found someone to socialize with," Christian deflected, nodding toward Kate, and Elliot grinned.

"Oh my God Christian, she's incredible," Elliot insisted, glancing over at Kate too. "Seriously, I don't think I've ever met a girl like her! I've heard Ray talking about his daughters before, but damn - I didn't realize his oldest was a fucking angel!"

"Better not let Ray overhear you preying on one of his daughters like that," Christian said in an amused voice.

"I'm not _preying _on her. I do want to ask her out on a date though," Elliot said eagerly, making Ana smile with delight. "I saw you talking to Kate's sister Ana. She's really cute, don't you think?"

"I guess so," Christian said, his voice skeptical. "What does it matter? It's not like I'm not going to go pick up girls at some old guy's birthday party."

"Not with that attitude, you're not," Elliot scoffed. "You don't find Ana even remotely attractive?"

"She's not my type," Christian said, rather rudely. "Why don't you go back to drooling all over Kate instead of wasting your time with me? I'm sure she's much more interesting."

Elliot rolled his eyes at his friend before walking away, and Ana looked over at Leila, who had overheard the whole exchange too. They both burst out giggling - neither of them could believe Christian had actually said that within earshot of Ana. She had already thought he was an asshole, and this only confirmed her first impression of him. All she could really do was laugh about it.

Christian heard giggling from a few yards away, and he looked over to see Ana and her little sister Leila laughing with each other. He realized that they were standing pretty close by and had probably overheard what he'd just said to Elliot - the glances they were sending his way made it pretty clear. He felt a bit embarrassed, but considering the fact he would probably never see any of these people again, he decided not to dwell on it too much.

Ana, still giggling, looked up at Christian and met his eyes again - her face was flushed pink and her eyes sparkled, and for a brief moment Christian couldn't bring himself to look away.

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**TO BE CONTINUED**

**A/N: What do you all think? Please leave a review! **


	2. My good opinion once lost

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! I couldn't resist writing chapter 2 for you guys. Hope you all enjoy!**

**FYI: All the chapter titles are going to be direct quotes from the book **_**Pride & Prejudice**_**, in case you were curious :) **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter 2: My good opinion once lost**

Throwing that big party left Ana and her sisters feeling pretty exhausted by the next morning. After spending hours socializing and meeting new people, the girls spent the rest of the day cleaning up after the party, throwing away all the trash and packing up all of Ray's gifts. It kept them busy for the rest of the day, so today (Sunday) all that could be done by the Steele girls was sleep in late and snack on the leftovers.

"Oh, that party was _so _much fun," Carla said happily as she stood at the sink washing dishes. All three of her daughters sat at the dining room table, Ana and Kate both sharing a slice of birthday cake while Leila simply sat texting on her phone. "I got to talk to so many people I haven't seen in years! We should definitely do this again next year."

"It was fun, but I'm glad it's over now," Ana stated, licking a glob of frosting off her fork. "It was exhausting - I almost pulled a muscle in my shoulder carrying all of Dad's gifts to the car."

"Well, even so, I know that Dad had a good time," Kate said fairly, taking another bite of cake. "It seemed like everyone did."

"It really was a wonderful party you girls threw for him," Carla said with another smile. "And Kate, I couldn't help but notice you talking to that cute blonde boy… who was he again? Your father's work associate?"

Kate blushed. "Elliot."

"_Elliot_," Leila pretended to swoon.

"Stop it, Leila," Kate said, her face still red. "He was just being nice, that's all. I think he and Dad are just working on a construction project together for the next few weeks, and that's how they know each other."

"Well, a few weeks is plenty of time to get to know someone, darling," Carla said with a coy smile toward her oldest daughter. "I saw that there was another young man who came to the party with him too. Christian, I believe?"

Leila snorted. "Yeah, Mr. Jerkface."

"What do you mean?" Carla asked.

"He said something rude about Ana," Kate explained, and Carla bristled.

"Did he really?" she asked, indignant on behalf of her daughter.

"It's fine Mom. I didn't really care," Ana smiled. "I could tell he was just the kind of person who's generally unpleasant to everyone around him."

"Even so… as long as his behavior doesn't rub off on other people," Carla said, turning back to her dishes. "Especially that friend of his. It's too bad this Christian fellow couldn't be as nice as Elliot…"

Kate blushed again, but didn't say anything more. As Carla continued to chatter on, Kate met Ana's eyes, conveying the silent communication that she wanted to speak to her about something, and Ana nodded in understanding. After a few minutes, the two girls soon excused themselves and went upstairs to Kate's bedroom, where they would have the most privacy.

"Tell me the truth," Ana said as soon as the door closed behind them. "Are you and Elliot in love already?"

"No," Kate said, though she grinned and looked down, picking at her nail. "But he and I have been texting all day today."

"Kate!" Ana laughed in astonishment. "You didn't tell me you gave him your phone number! Why would you hide that from me?"

"Shh," Kate shushed her, smiling. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hide it from you. But I just wanted to get to know him a bit better before telling you."

"But you do like him?" Ana asked eagerly.

"Yes," Kate grinned excitedly. "Oh my God, Ana - he's like the sweetest, most amazing guy I've ever met! The moment we started talking yesterday, it's like we clicked, and even just texting him today I felt it. I never knew it was possible to feel that kind of instant connection with a person after first meeting them!"

"Kate, that's amazing," Ana walked over and hugged her sister, genuinely happy for her. "Has he asked you out yet?"

"Well, that's the thing," Kate said, pulling away. "He asked if I wanted to have a drink with him tonight at that bar over on Brady Street."

"What? Seriously?!" Ana squealed. "Kate, you have to stop hiding these things from me!"

"I'm not! He's apparently going there with some friends, and he asked if I wanted to join them," Kate explained. "I was actually hoping you'd come along with me."

Ana raised her eyebrows. "Really? I mean, I'd be happy to go out for a drink with you guys, but I don't want to be in the way."

"You won't be," Kate insisted. "Elliot even said you could come along if you wanted. Honestly, I want you to come - I'd be a lot less nervous if you were there with me. And if it turns out one of his friends is a hot girl who he wants to hook up with, I'd feel less embarrassed being there if I wasn't by myself."

"Stop it, Kate. I doubt he would do that to you," Ana said firmly. "I'll come along with you tonight if you insist. What time are we meeting them?"

"At around seven," Kate said with a grin, and she giggled excitedly before taking Ana's hands in her own. "Oh my God, thank you so much Ana - I'm really excited for tonight now!"

"Yeah well, now you can owe me one," Ana smiled, squeezing her hands back. "Come on, I want to help you pick out a cute outfit so Elliot will drool all over you tonight…"

* * *

After spending the rest of the day going through their closets, trying on different outfits, and finding the best makeup look, Ana and Kate finally headed out to the bar. They had told their parents they were just going out for a drink alone tonight, which Ray and Carla didn't question - Ana and Kate had gone out for drinks quite often since Ana turned 21 last September, and since both of them only worked part-time jobs, their outings were rather sporadic throughout the week. Kate was currently wearing a cute dark purple halter top with skinny jeans and round-toe heels, while Ana opted for a graphic t-shirt with black skinny jeans and ballet flats.

"Don't be nervous," Ana instructed her sister as they walked down the sidewalk toward the bar, which was packed with people. "Let's just have a good time tonight, alright?"

Kate nodded, but didn't say anything else as they squeezed their way through the doorway. This bar was called _The Regiment_, and it was currently packed with people, either sitting at tables or milling around the bar area, loudly cheering at the football game that was on TV. Ana and Kate glanced around the place for a few moments before they saw someone waving from a nearby booth.

"Kate, Ana - over here!" Elliot shouted brightly, and the two girls made their way over.

Ana had expected a group of people to be with Elliot, but as soon as they got close enough, she noticed only one other person there, sitting across from him at the booth. It was Christian, the rude guy from the party yesterday.

_Shit._

Ana almost wanted to turn around and leave, since she'd much rather bail than have to put up with Christian again. But Kate had insisted she come, so at the very least she was willing to stick it out for her.

"Hi," Elliot smiled at Kate as soon as she and Ana approached. His eyes cast over her body, admiring her figure, and Kate blushed.

"Hi," she said. Elliot got up from his seat, allowing Kate and Ana to slide into one side of the booth together.

"Hi Christian," Ana greeted politely, setting her purse down beside her. He smiled politely back.

"Good evening," he said.

"Can we get you ladies something to drink?" Elliot asked expectantly, still standing beside the table.

"I'll have a vodka soda," Kate requested.

"I'll just have a light beer," Ana said.

"Comin' right up," Elliot grinned, clapping Christian on the shoulder. "Come on dude, help me out with the drinks."

Without a word, Christian got up from his seat and followed Elliot to the bar. Ana and Kate looked at each other.

"Ugh, Kate - you told me this was going to be a group thing," Ana complained, keeping her voice low in case they came back. "You didn't tell me only Christian was going to be here."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Kate apologized sincerely. "It really sounded like Elliot was bringing a whole group of people here tonight. Maybe they're coming a bit later?"

"I hope so," Ana said despondently. "'Cause now this feels like we're on a weird double date where I'm stuck with the jerk."

"Don't say that," Kate said. "I'm sure Christian is nice once you get to know him. Elliot says that he can be a bit quiet sometimes, but at his heart he's a very kind and loyal person."

"I think I'll be the judge of that," Ana said stoutly. At that moment, Elliot and Christian returned with their drinks.

"Thank you," Kate blushed and smiled as Elliot set her and Ana's drinks in front of them.

"You're very welcome," he smiled before he and Christian sat down across from them. "So how have you guys been since we saw you yesterday?"

For the next half hour or so, the four of them engaged in pleasant conversation, talking about everything ranging from Ray's birthday party to how Elliot and Christian liked being in Portland. Elliot, Kate, and Ana carried most of the conversation, with Christian choosing to just mostly listen, and talk only when asked a direct question. Elliot, thankfully, was the opposite of his friend: he was very charismatic and friendly, and Ana enjoyed talking and laughing with him and Kate. Ana found herself observing her sister and Elliot as they chatted, and was happy to see an expression of admiration in both of their eyes.

"Oh, Kate - did you want another drink?" Elliot suddenly asked, noticing her vodka soda was empty.

"Oh, I can get it," Kate offered, moving to get up.

"No please, allow me," Elliot said, getting to his feet and helping her up. "I'll come with you to the bar. Do either of you need a refill?"

Ana and Christian both said they didn't, and Elliot and Kate walked away together toward the crowded bar.

There was a short, awkward silence between Ana and Christian now that they were alone. Ana took a sip of her beer, wishing Kate and Elliot would hurry up.

"So you're finishing up college this coming semester?" Christian asked after a moment, picking up the conversation where it had left off before Elliot and Kate walked away.

"Yeah. I've been taking online courses at WSU for the past three years now," Ana explained. "I'm finishing up a semester early and graduating summa cum laude."

"Impressive," Christian nodded. There was another short pause.

"Where did you go to college?" Ana asked.

"Harvard Business School," Christian said, in a tone of voice that didn't make it sound as impressive as it really was. "I graduated about four years ago, and then I came back to Seattle to take over my father's company."

"The acquisitions company," Ana said, remembering him mentioning it yesterday. He nodded. "Sounds like you really got it made."

"I guess so," Christian said impassively, but didn't go on. Ana couldn't help but bite back a smile.

"So I'm talking to a Harvard graduate," she mused, taking another sip of her beer. "My online English degree from WSU probably seems rather insufficient."

"Why would you say that?" Christian asked, taking a long pull from his own beer.

Ana, a bit surprised by his question, had to think about her answer for a moment. "I guess because you went to an ivy league school knowing what you were going to do when you graduated. I can't really say the same."

"I'm not one of those people that think vocational training is a necessity in college," Christian shrugged. "While it is useful, college is also a time to grow and explore new things while figuring out the kind of person you are."

"I agree, but taking online courses doesn't exactly lend itself to those crazy college hookup stories you always hear about," Ana pointed out.

"I suppose not," Christian said. "Hooking up with people doesn't necessarily have to be a part of your college experience, however."

"It doesn't?" Ana asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "So you don't have any of those stories to tell?"

"No," Christian said simply.

"You didn't meet anyone in college?" Ana asked in surprise. "Really?"

"I met people," Christian assured her. "I even dated a few girls, but I've just never been one to party too hard and do crazy things just because I could. I'd hardly be setting a good example since I was already poised to take over my father's company when I first went off to school."

Ana didn't say anything for a moment - she had wondered if Christian was always this arrogant and stuffy, and apparently she was right. "How responsible of you," she said lightly.

Christian gave her an odd look. "You're laughing at me."

"No I'm not," Ana assured him. "You had said before that college was a time for people to explore themselves and learn who they are, and then you said you never partied too hard or hooked up with random girls. It speaks a lot to the kind of person you are."

Christian raised his eyebrows at her. "And your comment speaks a lot about the kind of guys many girls in college tend to associate with," he said coolly. "Call me old fashioned, but I wouldn't want to date a girl unless I really liked her."

Ana didn't answer as she took another sip of her beer, unable to help feeling sorry for whatever poor soul he ended up dating.

At that moment, Kate and Elliot finally appeared back at the table. "Hey guys - a pool table just opened up. Do you want to play a game?"

Ana, all too happy to end this conversation, got to her feet, and Christian followed suit. The four of them then made their way to the nearest pool table, which no one was occupying.

* * *

Christian hadn't been too thrilled at the prospect of going out for a drink with Elliot and Kate tonight, but in the end he reluctantly agreed, simply because Elliot was so determined to get to know Kate better. And Christian wasn't sure if it was this bar or the beer he drank tonight, but his conversation with Ana left him feeling a little vexed. He couldn't say why she cared so much about what he was like in college or how much he dated, but something about her manner of speaking made him want to keep talking to her. And it didn't help that her pretty blue eyes distracted him more than he liked.

Kate, Ana and Christian now stood around the pool table, watching Elliot line up his shot, and Christian's eyes couldn't help but gravitate to Ana, who had one hand tucked in her back jeans pocket and the other holding her beer bottle. She smiled as she watched the billiard balls clack together and roll in every direction, and she brought the beer up to her lips to take a sip.

Christian forced himself to look away as he took a pull from his own beer, hoping the alcohol would distract him from his unwarranted thoughts.

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**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed chapter 2! If you did, please review :)**

**I'm currently writing another story called Anastasia, Pop Princess that I'll be wrapping up in about five or six more chapters. Once that story's finished, I'll devote more time and energy into this one :) Thank you all for your wonderful love and support!**


	3. An affection for her sister

**A/N: In case you forgot what happened in the last two chapters, here's a brief recap: Ana, Kate, and Leila are all daughters of Ray and Carla Steele. The three girls threw a birthday party for their dad at the Portland Community Center, where they met Elliot Adams and Christian Grey. They're best friends from Seattle working in Portland, and Elliot is immediately attracted to Kate while Christian is rude to Ana. Elliot asks Kate and Ana out for drinks the following night, and Christian tags along. Ana and Christian have a conversation, and Ana finds him arrogant while Christian is starting to find Ana attractive. **

**Hope you all enjoy chapter 3! :)**

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**Chapter 3: An affection for her sister**

Kate and Ana decided not to stay out too late with the guys last night. Kate seemed a bit disappointed she couldn't spend more time with Elliot, but he assured her he would text her first thing tomorrow morning, and Kate seemed happy with that. Ana was actually very happy Kate had met someone like Elliot - her sister had such a sweet and wonderful disposition, but she so rarely opened her heart to love. Ana really hoped Elliot could be the one to open her up and make her happy.

His friend, on the other hand, Ana couldn't really bring herself to care all that much about. Christian had been pretty standoffish throughout their time together, and Ana was glad they didn't continue the conversation they had had in the booth earlier in the evening. She could have sworn he kept glancing over at her for the rest of the night, but it was probably because he found something to criticize about her appearance.

Ana didn't care what Christian Grey thought about her, though. She remembered pretty clearly what he had said to Elliot about her at Ray's birthday, and that made it pretty obvious what kind of a person he was. He wasn't worth the time of day.

* * *

A few days after they had all gone out for drinks, Elliot called up Kate and asked her out to lunch tomorrow. He apparently had a few hours free that day before he had to be at his construction site, and he wanted to take Kate out for a picnic lunch in the park. It was supposed to be a beautiful day out, so he suggested they ride two city bikes there, and Kate eagerly agreed. Ana was happy for her sister, but she and Leila couldn't help but tease her about how adorably wholesome their lunch date was going to be. Kate blushed and argued that she thought it was romantic, and Ana couldn't help but privately agree. It definitely seemed perfect for Kate.

On Thursday morning, the day of Kate's date, Ana had to wake up before everyone else to work the morning shift at Clayton's, a small mom n' pop hardware store down the road. It was only a part-time clerk job, and the hours were a bit sporadic, but Ana liked it just fine. The owners were a nice older couple who were kind to her and paid all their employees pretty well, so Ana figured she could definitely do worse.

The whole day dragged on, and after Ana finished her eight-hour shift, she came home around 3 o'clock in the afternoon to see that nobody was there. Kate must have still been on her date with Elliot, and Leila had left a note on the fridge saying she was hanging out at her friend Mariah's house. Carla and Ray were still at work, so Ana enjoyed a rare moment of solitude - she didn't feel like lazing in front of the TV after standing behind a counter all day though, so she decided to go for a run. She changed into black leggings, tennis shoes, a black sports bra, and a loose pink tank top. After tying her hair back into a bun, she slipped her earbuds into her ears and headed out the door.

She jogged along the street for several blocks, seeing a few other people out and about on this beautiful day. Their neighborhood was a very residential area, so she saw a lot of parents with young children playing out in the front yards. Ana focused on her pace and the music she was listening to as she jogged down the sidewalk.

About twenty minutes into her run, Ana felt a vibration in her pocket as her phone rang with an incoming call. Feeling slightly annoyed, she slowed down to a walk, pulled her earbuds out, and took out her phone, checking the caller ID. It was her mother.

"Hello?" Ana answered, a little out of breath.

"Hi sweetheart," Carla said. "Oh I'm sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, it's okay. I was just out for a jog," Ana panted. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know I got a call from St. Vincent's Medical Center," Carla explained. "Kate was apparently clipped by a passing bike in the park a few hours ago, and she fractured her ankle. Elliot's brought her to the hospital."

"Oh my God," Ana said, alarmed. "Do you know if she's alright?"

"I don't know, she's not picking up her phone," Carla said, sounding worried. "I hate to bother you with this, but do you think you could go to the hospital and see how she is? Your father's busy at the carpentry shop, and I have a meeting I have to go to in about ten minutes."

"Yeah, of course I'll go," Ana said quickly. "And I'll let you know what's going on."

"Thank you sweetheart, I really appreciate it. I'm going to call Leila and let her know what's going on too."

They said their goodbyes and hung up, and Ana suddenly remembered that she was currently two and a half miles away from the house. It would probably take at least a half hour to jog back there and drive to the hospital. Wondering how far away she was from St. Vincent's, she pulled out her phone and Googled the distance… it was only 1.2 miles from where she was currently standing.

_That settled it_. Going there on foot was the fastest way, considering the alternative. Resolved, Ana slipped her phone and earbuds back into her zippered pocket and set off at a run toward the hospital.

~/~

Ana kept a fast pace all the way there, and made it in just under twelve minutes with her face flushed, her hair matted, and her whole body glowing with sweaty exertion. She knew she must have looked awful, but she hardly cared… she needed to see her sister, and that was all that mattered.

She walked through the sliding glass doors of St. Vincent's, still panting with the effort of running all the way here. She was just about to look around for a nurse or a directory that could point her in the right direction when she heard someone say her name:

"Ana?"

Ana looked over and saw Christian sitting in the nearby waiting area, reading a newspaper. He set it down before getting to his feet, walking over to her.

"Christian," Ana greeted him politely, still trying to catch her breath. He was really the last person she wanted to see right now, and the way he was currently examining her appearance made her rather uncomfortable.

"Um… I assume you're here to see Kate," Christian said after a moment, looking back up at her face.

_No shit, Sherlock_. "Yeah, I am," Ana said, placing her hands on her hips. "Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah, I'll take you to her," Christian said, and they walked together toward the hallway on the other side of the lobby. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you. Did you run here?"

"I think that's pretty obvious," Ana said, unable to hide her sarcasm. "So what are you doing here?"

"Elliot called me and told me what happened. He rode here in the ambulance with Kate, but he wasn't sure if he would be back in time for his meeting at the construction site. I'm just here to give him a ride once he chooses to leave."

Ana nodded, but didn't say anything to that as they silently walked down the hallway. They turned a corner to a room with multiple bays separated with blue paper curtains, and the first bed on the right lay Kate, her left foot wrapped up in a cast and elevated by a sling and pulley. Elliot was currently sitting at her bedside, holding her hand in both of his own, and talking quietly to her. She was listening to him with a small smile on her face, her cheeks a blushing pink. Ana couldn't help but look and them and smile, warmed at seeing her sister and Elliot looking so intimate together.

"Kate, someone's here to see you," Christian announced, and Kate and Elliot both looked up.

"Ana," Kate said brightly, her face lighting up. She pulled her hand from Elliot as Ana walked over to sit at the edge of the bed. The sisters immediately embraced. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Of course I'm here," Ana insisted, hugging her tightly. "Are you okay? Are you in pain?"

"I'm alright. The nurses gave me some meds," Kate said. "I'm just glad my injuries weren't worse than what they could have been."

"So what happened exactly?" Ana asked, but it was Elliot who answered.

"Kate and I were riding bikes through the park when some asshole comes blasting in from the opposite direction and runs his bike into hers. He knocked her into a rock garden," he said, sounding pissed. "He should be glad he got away before I could catch up to him and beat him into a pulp. He could have killed her!"

"I'm fine Elliot, I promise," Kate assured him with a smile. "Don't you need to go to your meeting at the construction site soon?"

Elliot checked his watch, frowning reluctantly. "Yeah I do, actually. I didn't realize it had gotten so late."

He glanced back up at Kate, and Ana got the feeling she should make herself scarce. "Um… I'll give you guys a minute to say goodbye. I'll just be out in the hallway."

She got up and walked toward the doorway leading to the hall, and Christian, who had been lingering nearby, followed her. She wasn't really inclined to engage Christian in conversation again, so when she spotted a water fountain several yards away, she made a beeline straight for it. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was after all the exercise she did today.

"You didn't have to do that."

Christian spoke while Ana was in the middle of drinking, and she lifted her eyes from the spigot to see him looking at her. She straightened up and wiped the water from her mouth with the back of her hand. "What?"

"You didn't have to run all the way here," Christian said, glancing over her sweaty appearance once again. He cleared his throat. "If you didn't have a ride to the hospital, you could have just called me."

"Well, it's not like I knew you were coming here, did I?" Ana countered. "I was in the middle of going for a jog when my mom called and told me what had happened to Kate. I was about a mile away from St. Vincent's, so I decided to just run the rest of the way here."

"Oh, I see," Christian said, but didn't say anything more.

"Besides, if Kate were hurt, I would run a marathon to be with her," Ana said staunchly, walking over to him and crossing her arms. "That's how much I love my sister."

Christian gazed at her for a moment. "I know," he said, his voice quiet. A moment later, he cleared his throat again. "I-I mean, I know the feeling. I have a little sister and I know I would do anything for her."

Ana nodded, but didn't say anything to that. There was a short pause.

"Well, I'm glad at least Elliot was with Kate so he could bring her to the hospital," Ana said after a moment. "I wish we knew who the arrogant prick was that knocked her off her bike though."

"What makes you think he's arrogant?" Christian asked, smirking slightly at her.

"Are you serious?" Ana scoffed. "According to Elliot, the dude just knocked her over and kept riding, without even stopping to see if she was okay! That doesn't scream arrogance to you?"

"Well, that makes him an asshole, sure," Christian shrugged. "That doesn't mean he's arrogant. Arrogance is something different."

"Oh yeah, Mr. Harvard Graduate? Why don't you enlighten me?" Ana challenged, raising an eyebrow at him. Christian only smiled at her.

"Arrogance is usually shown through your attitude, not your actions," he explained. "It's sort of like pride since it's an expression of self-importance. We don't know if the guy who hit her was arrogant, maybe he was just in a hurry."

"Being in a hurry doesn't excuse you for being a dick to other people," Ana stated.

"I suppose not, but not everyone thinks about how they're perceived by others," Christian said. "Someone may think they're being completely normal and not realize they're coming off as completely prideful or arrogant."

_Ain't that the truth_, Ana privately thought to herself about Christian. She didn't dare say that to his face, however.

"Well, since my sister is currently laid up in a hospital bed with a fractured ankle, forgive me if I assume the guy who did it to her is an arrogant asshole," Ana said staunchly.

At that moment, Elliot stepped out into the hallway, effectively ending their conversation. "Hey dude, I'm ready to head out now," Elliot said to Christian before turning to Ana. "Thanks so much for coming by, Ana. I hate that I have to leave, but I'm glad someone can be here with Kate while she recovers."

"Of course," Ana said with a smile. "I'll always be here for Kate. I'll be sure to let you know how she's doing."

"Thank you so much."

They said their goodbyes before Elliot and Christian walked away down the hallway, and Ana headed back to where Kate was. She didn't notice Christian turning to look over his shoulder and watching her as she disappeared through the doorway.

"Hey," Ana smiled at her sister as she walked over to her bed. Kate looked the same, except her cheeks were a bit more flushed than they were before. "So did you and Elliot make out in here?"

"Ha ha," Kate smiled sarcastically. "He just apologized to me again for our first date going so disastrously bad. I think he feels really guilty about it."

"Why? It's not like he's the one who knocked you off your bike," Ana said fairly, perching herself on her bedside. "Did fracturing your ankle change your feelings at all toward Elliot?"

"No, of course not."

"Then he has nothing to worry about," Ana smiled. "This horrible first date can just be a funny story you can tell your kids one day."

Kate laughed. "Stop it, Ana. You're getting way ahead of yourself."

"Maybe," Ana said airily, and Kate giggled again. "Incidentally, I think you and Elliot are great together. I could definitely see you two together years down the line."

"We'll see, I guess," Kate smiled. "He does live all the way out in Seattle, after all."

"Logistics," Ana brushed off. "If he's in it for the long haul, then distance won't matter in the slightest."

"I'm glad you have so much faith in us as a couple," Kate smirked. "Maybe you could plan our wedding someday?"

Ana laughed. "Consider it done."

* * *

**FUN FACT: The actress Jennifer Ehle, who played Anastasia's mother in all three FSOG films, also played the lead role of Elizabeth Bennett in the 1995 BBC television miniseries adaptation of **_**Pride & Prejudice**_**, which is widely considered to be the best adaptation of the book. A young handsome Colin Firth played Mr. Darcy ;)**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and support! Please leave a review and tell me what you think.**


	4. The smallest degree of admiration

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: The smallest degree of admiration**

Carla and Ray came by the hospital a couple hours later, and Kate's ankle felt okay enough at this point for her to be discharged and brought home. Thankfully, the fracture wasn't so bad that she needed surgery, but the doctors issued her some crutches and a brace for her to use for the next 6 weeks with strict instructions not to put any weight on her injured foot. Kate was disappointed since she was going to have to put in a leave of absence at the coffee shop she worked at, but she bore it reasonably well considering everything.

Ana felt bad for her sister, but in the days that followed, she couldn't help but feel almost envious of the way Elliot doted on her. He stopped by the house every morning for a few minutes before work to see how she was doing and bring her a coffee or croissant from Starbucks. If Ray was hanging around, the two of them would talk about work at the construction site or about Ray's carpentry shop. Both Ray and Carla seemed to really like Elliot, which Ana saw as a good sign - if Elliot and Kate became a real couple someday, then he would definitely have the Steele family approval.

The end of the week soon came around, and Ana wanted to go out for a drink; however, Kate was still laid up at home with her fractured ankle. Incidentally, Ana had a backup plan in the form of her close friend and neighbor Charlotte, affectionately nicknamed Charlie by people who knew her best. Ana and Charlie soon had set plans for a fun Friday girls night out - dinner, drinks, and maybe a little clubbing afterwards.

"Hey Charlie," Ana now opened the front door and smiled at her friend standing on the porch. Charlie had short dark hair and large brown eyes, and tonight she was looking cute in a pair of skinny jeans, a low-cut green top, and a jean jacket.

"Hey girl," Charlie stepped inside and the two women hugged. "I haven't seen you in forever! How've you been?"

"I've been good. A lot of stuff has happened I can't wait to tell you about," Ana grinned, walking over to the coffee table and grabbing her purse. "Ready to go?"

"Ana, Charlie," Carla walked into the foyer from the kitchen, wiping her hands with a towel. "Are you two leaving right now?"

"Yeah, we're just going out," Ana said, hooking her purse over her shoulder and moving toward the door. "I'll be back later."

"Can you take your sister with you?"

Ana stopped in her tracks and dropped her head, dread filling her body. "_Mom_," she said in a long-suffering voice.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but Leila wants to hang out with her friend Mariah tonight and I'd just feel better if she were with you," Carla said apologetically.

"Charlie and I are going out drinking tonight," Ana insisted, gesturing to her friend. "It's our girls night out."

"Well, you can just add two more girls to your night out," Carla insisted. "Charlie doesn't mind, do you Charlie?"

"No, of course not," Charlie said politely, though she looked a bit uncomfortable being put on the spot.

"See? It'll be fine," Carla said to Ana, who rolled her eyes.

"Mom, do you really want us taking Leila and her friend to a bar?" Ana asked doubtfully.

"There's actually a Dave & Buster's a few miles south of here," Charlie said, glancing at Ana. "Your sister and her friend can legally come in with us since we're of drinking age. They can play the games while you and I hang out at the bar."

"Perfect!" Carla said happily. "I'll go get Leila."

She hurried upstairs to Leila's bedroom, and Ana turned to look sarcastically at her friend. "Thanks for that."

"Oh come on, your sister's not that bad," Charlie smiled. "It's just for one night. I'm sure we'll still have a good time."

"I hope you're right," Ana said doubtfully. "By the way, _you _can drive us there Ms. Designated Driver."

Charlie simply laughed. "I guess I deserve that."

* * *

About half an hour later, Ana, Charlie, Leila, and Mariah arrived at Dave & Busters, which was packed with college students and young adults playing arcade games and drinking at the bar. Ana bought her sister and Mariah two "Power Cards" and loaded some money onto them, and after about five minutes of them begging Ana to buy them a cocktail (which she refused), they reluctantly went off to go play some video games.

"I guess it isn't so bad here," Ana admitted as she and Charlie sat together at the crowded bar. A football game was playing on the screens, and some college frat guys were watching and cheering for their team. "At least the drinks are cheap."

"Too bad I can only have soda tonight," Charlie shot her friend a sarcastic look, and Ana giggled. "Since I'm the designated driver and all."

"Hey you're a designated driver too?"

A cute guy with a crew cut walked up and smiled at Charlie, who blushed. She nodded silently.

"Cool, so am I," he grinned. "I'm Denny."

"Hi," Charlie said quietly, and they shook hands.

"That's Charlie, and I'm Ana," Ana said quickly, covering up for her friend's shyness. Denny shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you Ana," Denny said kindly.

"Hey dude."

Another guy walked up to Denny and clapped him on the shoulder, and Ana felt her heart stutter a little bit when she laid eyes on him. He had long, shaggy blonde hair that went almost down to his shoulders, and his twinkling green eyes and charming smile made Ana sure this guy was trouble. He had a fit, muscular body, and was wearing a WSU t-shirt with a dark brown leather cuff bracelet on his wrist.

"Jack," Denny greeted his friend before turning to Ana and Charlie. "This is Ana and Charlie. Ladies, this is my friend Jack."

"Hi," they both said, and they both shook his hand. Ana blushed when she saw Jack giving her a charming smile.

"Can I buy you ladies a drink?" Jack asked, looking specifically at Ana.

"No thanks, I'm good," Charlie said politely.

"I'll have a beer," Ana said, smiling at Jack. "Corona."

"A woman after at my own heart," Jack flirted, sending her a wink, and Ana giggled.

"So what brings you two out to a place like this on a Friday night?" Denny asked while Jack moved over to the bar to get their drinks.

"I got stuck watching my sister for the night," Ana said, nodding toward the arcade. "She and her friend are only sixteen, so they're over at the arcade while Charlie and I hang out at the bar."

"Cool," Denny said.

"So what are you and Jack doing here? Planning on hitting up the arcade?" Ana asked as Jack returned with her beer. She took it from him with a smile.

"Eventually," Denny grinned. "We're here with our Delta Chi frat brothers. You can probably hear them over there cheering over that football game."

On cue, all the frat guys began to cheer and shout excitedly over a touchdown, practically drowning out their conversation. Jack met Ana's gaze and he rolled his eyes, causing Ana to giggle.

"Do you ladies want to head over to the arcade? It might be a little less rowdy there than over here," Denny suggested. Ana and Charlie looked at each other, and Charlie shrugged.

"Sure, let's go," Ana agreed, and she and Charlie got up from their seats. Ana smiled and blushed as Jack moved beside her and placed his hand on her back, directing her through the crowd toward the arcade.

~/~

The four of them ended up having a great time playing the games. They started out with skeeball, and then moved over to the Dance Dance Revolution machines; Jack challenged Ana to most games, and while Ana knew she wasn't that good, Jack was kind enough let her win at least half the time. Charlie and Denny played a few games together, but Charlie didn't show a lot of interest in Denny, and he ended up going back over to his frat brothers at the bar while Charlie went off to check on Leila and Mariah. Ana and Jack were now left alone to spend some one-on-one time together, and Ana couldn't bring herself to be too upset about it.

"…So online classes, huh? How do you like them?" Jack now asked her, taking a sip of his beer. The two of them were just wandering around the arcade, watching everyone play the games.

"I love it. It's so much easier to fit school around my work schedule," Ana smiled. "Plus it's a lot more affordable than living on campus."

"Tell me about it," Jack snorted. "I'm barely able to afford going to WSU at the moment. But my frat brothers are like my family - I could never leave them."

"So is Portland home for you?" Ana asked, taking another sip of beer.

"No, actually. I grew up in Seattle," Jack said. "Then I briefly lived in California before moving to Portland for school."

"Oh, that's cool. I actually just met a few people from Seattle," Ana grinned.

"Oh really? And were they awesome and charming?" Jack asked, wiggling his eyebrows, and Ana laughed.

"Elliot's alright, but I think Christian is a bit of an arrogant jerk," she said rather spitefully. "So I guess about fifty-fifty."

Jack blinked, his face falling into a rather blank expression. "Christian? You don't mean Christian Grey, do you?"

Ana blinked before raising her eyebrows, surprised. "Yeah, actually. Do you know him?"

Jack brought his hand up to run through his shaggy hair, pushing it away from his face. "Yeah, I do."

He didn't expound upon that, but his less-than-happy reaction made Ana extremely curious. "I take it you don't like him very much either?"

Jack let out a humorless laugh. "I guess you could say that."

There was obviously a story there, but Jack didn't continue, and Ana didn't think it was a good idea to push him for answers, despite how curious she was. There was a short pause. "I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, I understand," she said compassionately.

Jack let out a sigh before glancing around them. He noticed an empty two-person standing table in a nearby corner, and he took Ana by the elbow before leading her over there.

"Sorry for acting all weird. I just wasn't expecting you to mention him," Jack said once they were at the table. They set their half-empty beers down. "Christian and I actually grew up together."

Ana's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah," Jack grimaced. "Christian's dad and my dad were best friends and business partners for years. Carrick Grey was the CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings, and my dad was his CFO. Our families were really close - since I was an only child, Christian was like a brother to me and his sister Mia was like my own sister. Carrick loved me like a son, so when my dad passed away from cancer when I was fifteen, Carrick made sure I was financially secure once I graduated high school. He had set aside $350,000 for me to use for my college education."

"What?" Ana stared at him, her mouth open. "He gave you that much money to pay for school?!"

"He wanted me to go to an ivy league university," Jack explained with a wry smile. "Yale or Harvard were his preferred choices. I had the good grades and the connections to get into any school I wanted, but a wrench was thrown into my plans when Carrick passed away when I was eighteen."

"Oh that's horrible," Ana said sadly. "Losing your father, and then later losing your other father figure."

"Yeah, it was pretty rough on me," Jack said, frowning slightly. "And it was rough on Christian too. He was twenty-two at the time, and he had just graduated from Harvard Business School. He was set to take over Grey Enterprise Holdings, and I was about to head off for college - Columbia University ended up being my school of choice. But a few weeks before I was set to leave, I found out the money Carrick had left for me was gone."

Ana gasped. "Oh my God, seriously?"

"Yup," Jack nodded gravely. "Every penny. And a part of me already knew the truth of what happened: Christian had always been jealous of my relationship with his father, and now that Carrick was gone, he was free to treat me with the hatred he'd always really felt. There was nothing I could do except drop out of Columbia and make my own way in the world."

"God, that's horrible," Ana said emphatically, her heart going out to Jack. "You thought you were getting a full ride scholarship to an ivy league university, only to have it torn away from you at the last second! I knew Christian was an asshole, but I had no idea he was capable to doing something so terrible to another person. And to one of his closest friends too!"

"He changed a lot since he took over the company," Jack said. "He used to be not such a huge jerk, but after his dad died and he was left to run GEH, he became much more power-hungry. The money set aside for me was technically his to do with as he pleased, and I guess it pleased him to take back the money and totally fuck me over."

Ana shook her head. "You're way more calm about this than I would be in your situation. How are you able to make excuses for him?"

Jack smiled wryly. "I grew up with the Grey family, and Carrick was a wonderful man. Until I can forget how kind Carrick always was to me, I don't think I could ever truly hate Christian. Plus, my situation in life right now isn't so bad. I managed to get into WSU, which is a great school, and I have an awesome group of friends here in my fraternity that have basically become my family. I'd say life turned out for the best... except now I have a lot more student loan debt."

Jack smiled that charming, all-American boy smile before taking a sip of beer, and Ana felt her heart melt a little bit. After having such a horrible thing happen to him at the hands of one of his oldest friends, he still had such an optimistic outlook on life. Ana's attraction to Jack seemed to grow exponentially after learning what a kind-hearted person he was.

_And my first instincts about Christian Grey were completely accurate._

"Hey," Charlie appeared at their table, and behind her were Leila and Mariah, chatting with one another. "It's getting pretty late, so I think I'm going to take your sister and her friend home. Would you like to stay here for a little while or come back with us?"

Ana dearly wanted to hang out with Jack a little while longer, but she knew it was best she stick by her sister. "I should probably head back with you. Just give me a minute and I'll meet you by the car."

Charlie nodded before heading back over to the girls. Ana and Jack exchanged a glance before chuckling.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," he said with a smile. "I enjoyed talking with you tonight, Ana."

"I liked talking to you too, Jack," Ana said, and then she blushed, feeling suddenly shy. "If you ever wanted to hang out again, maybe you could call or text me sometime?"

Jack's smile widened. "I think that's a great idea."

They exchanged phone numbers before saying goodbye, and Ana walked out of the arcade into the parking lot, the smile unable to leave her face.

* * *

**A/N: I know having Jack in the story as a potential love interest for Ana is not what a lot of you want to see, but for those of you who know Pride & Prejudice, you have a good idea as to what's about to come.**

**If you liked this chapter, please leave a review :) Next chapter, Ana thinks a bit more about what Jack told her about Christian. Also, an old friend of Ray's comes by for a visit. **


	5. The follies and vices of others

**A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: The follies and vices of others**

The moment they got home from Dave & Busters and Leila went off to her bedroom, Ana immediately went into Kate's room to tell her all about tonight. Namely, about Jack and the horrible thing Christian did to his supposed friend.

"Wow," Kate frowned as soon as Ana was finished telling her what Jack told her. Ana currently sat cross-legged on Kate's bed while Kate sat in her desk chair, her fractured ankle resting on a small cushion. "I can't believe it. Are you sure it's true?"

"How could it not be?" Ana asked, picking up a nearby stuffed animal and holding it to her chest. "Jack had no reason to lie to me. A lot of the facts he said about Christian were accurate, like how he had gone to Harvard before taking over his dad's company, and the fact that he has a little sister."

"But what Christian apparently did to Jack… it's such an awful thing to do to somebody," Kate said fairly. "I can't believe Christian would be so mean toward his friend for no reason."

"He did it because he was jealous," Ana explained. "If Christian felt that his own father liked Jack more, it would have made him angry and he would have lashed out by taking away something Carrick gave to Jack. It makes sense, and I can totally see Christian being that big of an asshole to someone."

"I don't know, Ana," Kate said doubtfully. "Elliot has always said really nice things about Christian. Maybe he's not as big of a jerk as you think he is."

"Or maybe Elliot is just a very kind and forgiving person who can easily overlook other people's faults despite how big they are," Ana smirked at her sister. "That's probably why you and Elliot like each other so much: you're both too nice for your own good."

Kate rolled her eyes with a smile and a blush. "Oh shut up."

"It's true," Ana insisted. " And I don't mean to be insulting to Elliot because I think he's a really nice guy, but I can more easily believe Elliot's kind nature would be manipulated by Christian than Jack's story being untrue."

"I think you just like Jack, Ana," Kate pointed out, giving her sister a knowing smile. Now it was Ana's turn to blush.

"I might," she glanced down at her hands, fighting a smile. "There's a lot to like about Jack, to be honest. But even if I didn't like him, I do believe he was telling the truth."

"Maybe he is," Kate shrugged. "I don't know what to think. I hope for Elliot's sake Jack's story is wrong, but even if it is true, I don't think we should be spreading this rumor around to people. Especially since it involves Christian's dead father."

"Fair enough," Ana sighed, tossing the stuffed animal aside and getting off the bed. "I still think Christian's a huge jerk, though."

"I know you do," Kate giggled sardonically. "You don't have to hang out with him if you don't want to."

"Speaking of people I don't want to hang out with," Ana said, suddenly remembering. "Did you hear that Mr. Rodriguez and Jose are visiting from Seattle tomorrow?"

Kate's face fell. "Seriously?"

"Yup," Ana grimaced. "They missed Dad's birthday party, so they're driving down for a visit tomorrow. They're apparently going to be in Portland all next week."

Kate looked utterly dejected, but didn't say anything more to that. Ana could understand her sister's reticence: Jose Rodriguez and his father had been family friends of the Steele's for many years now, and they were odd people. Jose was twenty-three years old and had been homeschooled all his life, and lacked a lot of basic social skills which made him kind of embarrassing to hang out with. The last time he visited Portland, he had asked Kate out on a date in front of everyone, clearly confident she would say yes. Kate was extremely embarrassed when she told him no, and it was an incident Ana was embarrassed to think about even now.

"Maybe you could stay up here in your room all week and I'll tell Jose you died in a tragic bike accident," Ana suggested with a grin, and Kate giggled wryly.

"Honestly, I'd consider doing that," she said seriously, and Ana laughed.

"Well, if we're lucky, Mom and Dad won't make us spend too much time with the Rodriguez boys while they're here," she said, moving toward the door. "I should probably go to bed now. I'll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early."

"Goodnight, Ana."

* * *

The next day, just as Ana had said, Mr. Rodriguez and Jose arrived at the Steele home. Mr. Rodriguez was a larger, balding man who had gone a little gray since they had last seen him, but Jose hadn't changed much at all. He wore his usual thick black-framed glasses with a striped polo shirt tucked into his khaki pants, which looked too short for him as they rode up his ankles.

"Come on in, guys," Carla smiled politely, gesturing for the two men to walk inside into the foyer, where the rest of the the Steele family were standing and waiting. "Please, make yourselves at home."

"Thank you Carla," Mr. Rodriguez smiled at her.

"It's great to see you again," Ray greeted his friend, giving him a hug. "How've you two been?"

"We've been great," Mr. Rodriguez said, smiling down at Jose. "Jose here just got a job at an art studio."

"It's a _very_ prestigious job," Jose said proudly, puffing himself up with a grin. "A lot of people in Seattle's upper class go there to buy their pieces of art, and you usually need super important connections in order to get a job there."

"That's great, Jose," Ray said. "I look forward to hearing more about it."

"The place is called _Lady de Bourgh_," Jose went on loudly, unrelenting. "I doubt people here in Portland have ever heard of it. It's well-known in Seattle for being _very _exclusive, and it's pretty secretive about its clientele. I really shouldn't talk too much about it."

Ana glanced over at Kate, who was standing beside her leaning on a crutch, and the two of them tried not to laugh. Jose bragging about the inane things in his life was a pretty normal occurrence, and it was usually difficult to get a word in edgewise whenever he was talking. Leila let out a resigned sigh as she pulled out her phone, tuning out everyone else.

Jose blathered on a bit more about his art studio job, talking about all the important work he was expected to do, such as help oversee the shipments of art coming in or help dust the picture frames. Based on what he was saying, Ana suspected he was just someone's assistant or an intern, though he never explicitly said his job title. Ray and Carla at first were polite enough to ask Jose some questions about his new job, but after over ten minutes of him going on and on about it, they decided not to encourage him any further.

Carla had made a lunch of soup and sandwiches for everyone, so once Jose finally stopped talking, they all made their way into the dining room to eat. Ana helped Kate into her seat since she was struggling a bit, and Jose finally seemed to notice.

"Kate, what happened to your foot?" he asked, watching as she slowly lowered herself into her seat.

"I got in a bicycle accident in the park," Kate said simply.

"Oh really? I never ride my bike anymore," Jose stated. "It can be pretty dangerous riding around in the city, with all those cars around. Plus, when you work at the _Lady de Bourgh_, it's basically expected you come to work looking clean and professional. I mean, most of my coworkers there drive a Lexus or an Audi at least…"

And once again, he was off talking about his job. Ana couldn't help but feel bad for his coworkers, who likely had to constantly hear him blabbering about dumb things all day long. She decided to just tune him out.

Their lunch commenced, and when Jose wasn't dominating the conversation, Ray, Carla, and Mr. Rodriguez talked about work. Ana, Kate, and Leila didn't say much, and Ana was hoping their meal could end soon and Jose and his dad would leave.

Jose was in the middle of describing his work uniform when Carla suddenly turned to Ana, interrupting his monologue. "So Ana, how's Charlie doing?"

Ana was a bit surprised by her mother's question, but was happy to talk about something other than Jose's work. "She's doing well," she said. "It was nice getting to spend some time with her last night."

"And what about those cute boys you two were hanging out with?" Leila teased with a smirk. Ana glared at her sister before kicking her shin under the table.

"Leila, leave your sister alone," Carla said firmly to her youngest daughter.

"Charlie's going off to college soon, isn't she?" Ray asked, taking a bite of his chicken salad sandwich. "The fall semester is starting in a couple weeks."

"Yeah, she's going to the University of Seattle in a few days," Ana said, smiling sadly. "I'm really going to miss her. Her parents are throwing her a going-away party on Wednesday though, which should be pretty fun."

"Are you still in school, Anastasia?" Jose asked, gazing at her.

It was the first time Jose had acknowledged Ana all day, and she was a bit surprised. She gave him a perfunctory smile. "Yes. I'm taking online classes."

"And how do you like taking online classes?" he asked politely. "Would you say they're better than in-person classes?"

Ana exchanged a glance with Kate, who just shrugged. "Um… they're fine, I guess."

"I'm glad you enjoy them," Jose smiled at her. Ana didn't respond, unsure of what to say.

Everyone continued to eat their lunch, talking about various things, and eventually Mr. Rodriguez and Jose left to take their luggage to the hotel they were staying at. They were apparently coming by tomorrow for another visit, and while Ana was dreading their return, she was going to treasure the few hours she didn't have to spend in Jose's company.

* * *

The next morning, which was Sunday, Charlie came over to the Steele's house to spend the day with Ana, Kate, and Leila. Mr. Rodriguez and Jose came by once again, and the parents all suggested the kids go out to the mall or a movie or something. Ana was fine with that suggestion, though it did mean she was going to have to spend time with Jose again.

Jose, Ana, Leila, and Charlie all headed out to the mall, Kate staying at home due to her fractured ankle. Predictably, Jose started talking about his job at _Lady de Bourgh_ \- the Steele girls were all worn out with Jose's one-sided conversation, but Charlie was polite enough to listen to him prattle on about the prestigious art he worked with on a daily basis.

"I even got to meet a famous local artist a couple weeks ago," he said excitedly to Charlie as the four of them walked through the mall, passing by various shops and stores. "I mean, I didn't actually _meet _her. I saw her from across the room, but it was a fantastic moment that I got to experience…"

"So Charlie, are you excited to be heading off to college soon?" Ana asked her friend, who was starting to look tired by her conversation with Jose.

"Yeah, definitely," Charlie turned to Ana and smiled gratefully. "I mean, I'm nervous to go live in a new city obviously, but I'm glad I'll be within driving distance to home."

"You better come visit every weekend," Leila said to Charlie, who smiled.

"How about every other weekend?" she suggested, and the girls laughed.

"Hi Ana. Hi Leila."

Ana turned and saw Elliot and Christian walking toward them from one of the stores, Elliot holding a large shopping bag from Duluth Trading.

"Hi Elliot," Ana smiled. She decidedly didn't greet Christian, who she noticed was looking at her. He didn't say anything, but Ana couldn't quite decipher the expression on his face as he seemed to give her a onceover.

_Asshole_

"So what are you guys doing here?" Elliot smiled, glancing at the four of them. "Is Kate with you?"

"She stayed home because of her ankle," Leila said.

"Oh," Elliot said, his face falling slightly.

"She's been doing a lot better lately," Ana said. "The doctors say she could probably have her brace off by the end of next week."

Elliot smiled again, looking happy at that prospect. "That's awesome! Tell her I hope she's feeling better, and I'll try to come visit her tomorrow morning."

"Will do," Ana nodded before turning to Charlie. "By the way, have you met our friend and neighbor, Charlie?"

"No I haven't," Elliot smiled at Charlie and stuck out his hand. "I'm Elliot, and this is my buddy Christian."

"Nice to meet you," Charlie smiled, shaking his hand before shaking Christian's.

"And I'm Jose," Jose suddenly said, knocking into Ana as he moved past her to shake Elliot's hand. "I'm a close personal friend of the Steele family."

Elliot looked a bit surprised, but greeted him kindly all the same. "Nice to meet you."

"So what are you two doing at the mall?" Ana asked Elliot. She glanced over at Christian and noticed he was still looking at her for some reason.

"Oh, I just needed a new pair of workboots," Elliot said, gesturing to the bag in his hand. "Christian was bored, so he decided to tag along."

"No, I told you I needed a new tie for my meeting tomorrow," Christian countered.

"Oh, you wear ties to work too?" Jose asked, perking up. "Because I have a dress code for the art studio I work at. It's the _Lady de Bourgh_, I don't know if you've ever heard of it…"

"Charlie's actually going to be leaving for college in Seattle next week," Ana said, overriding Jose. "Her parents are throwing her a going-away party on Wednesday."

"You guys are free to come if you like," Charlie added, smiling brightly. "It'll be over at _The Evergreen_, and I know Kate will be there too. There'll be good food and music and dancing… it should be a lot of fun."

"We'd love to come," Elliot grinned happily, glancing over at Christian. "Wouldn't we, Christian?"

"Yeah, definitely," Christian said politely.

"Well, I for one am really looking forward to it," Jose said adamantly.

The girls were silent, too uncomfortable to point out Jose hadn't technically been invited. "Um… yeah, it should be fun," Charlie said politely. "I hope you all can make it."

They said their goodbyes before going their separate ways, Leila and Ana trying not to laugh at how oblivious Jose was as they walked in the direction of the food court.

"Does anybody want to get a soft pretzel?" Leila asked, gazing at the nearby Auntie Anne's.

"Sure, I'll buy one," Charlie grinned.

"You guys go ahead," Jose said. "Anastasia, can I have a word with you?"

Ana stared at Jose in confusion before glancing over at Charlie and Leila, who looked just as confused as her. "Um… yeah sure. I'll meet you guys over by the pretzel place, okay?"

Charlie and Leila agreed before walking away, and Jose led Ana about thirty yards in the opposite direction toward a Victoria's Secret. He stopped near the doorway before turning to her.

"I suppose I should just come right out and say it," Jose said in a rather formal tone, clasping his hands in front of him. "I didn't want to ask you in front of the others for fear of embarrassing you, but I was wondering if perhaps you wanted to go to Charlie's going-away party with me?"

Ana felt extremely uncomfortable now, and she was torn between wanting to punch Jose in the mouth or run away from him. "Jose…" she began awkwardly.

"I feel that since we were both going anyway, it might be a good opportunity for us to get to know each other better," Jose went on, his tone still unrelentingly formal. "I would hate for either of us to go alone, and I feel that, as far as options go, a date with me wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. I mean, I _am_ working at one of the most prestigious art studios in Seattle…"

"Jose," Ana said firmly, overriding him. "Please stop talking, and let me be perfectly clear: I don't want to go to Charlie's party with you. Okay?"

Jose blinked, looking only slightly surprised. "But I figured since this was a party, guests ought to bring along a date. Do you already have one?"

"No, but that doesn't change the fact that I won't go to the party with you," Ana stated.

"Oh," Jose said, looking a bit confused for a moment before suddenly smiling in realization. "Oh, I see. Is this because I live all the way up in Seattle and you live here in Portland? Because I agree, a relationship between the two of us could get a bit complicated due to the distance, but I had honestly weighed the pros and cons of a long-distance relationship with you before asking…"

"Jose, I promise it's not the distance," Ana said quickly, anger and humiliation still raging through her. "I just don't feel that way about you, alright?"

"Ana, if you're embarrassed about the fact that our families are close, you don't have to be," Jose smiled at her, still not picking up on Ana's feelings. "It might be a little strange at first, I know, but I'm sure our parents would be thrilled to find out that you and I are together…"

"Jose, please learn to take a hint," Ana snapped, her impatience throwing her manners out the window. "I don't like you, I don't want to go out with you, and I'm not going to Charlie's party with you as my date. Understand?"

Ana didn't wait for his response as she turned around and stalked back over to Charlie and Leila, her heart still pounding with embarrassment.

* * *

**A/N: Oh that poor clueless Jose lol :)**

**Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Charlie's going-away party puts Ana and Christian in the same room together once again.**

**Please review! **


	6. The illustration of your character

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The illustration of your character**

Leila and Charlie could see something was wrong with Ana as soon as she joined them in the food court, and judging by her red cheeks and angry expression, she clearly didn't want to talk about it. Leila looked like she was holding back laughter as she ducked her head down, turning away from her sister, and not greeting Jose when he eventually joined them at the table.

It was very awkward as Charlie and Leila finished up their pretzels, making small talk with each other and ignoring the elephant in the room. Ana refused to talk about what had just happened, and Jose seemed too uncomfortable to bring it up; to Ana's profound relief, Charlie suggested they all head back home, and they soon gathered up their things to leave.

Jose didn't talk to Ana again as they made their way back, and his gallant attempts at talking to Charlie and Leila seemed forced and awkward. He was most animated when he talked about his job at the _Lady de Bourgh_, and no one bothered to interrupt him - Ana was thankful when they finally made it back home, and she could escape upstairs and away from Jose.

Ana was just thinking about going into Kate's room to tell her what had happened when her phone suddenly rang with an incoming call. She smiled and blushed when she looked at the caller ID.

"Hello?" Ana answered, walking into her bedroom and closing the door.

"Hey you," Jack's smooth voice sounded from the other end, and it caused Ana's heart to flutter. "Sorry for not calling yesterday. How've you been?"

"I've been good," she smiled, walking over to her bed and laying down on it, her phone still to her ear. "I just got back from shopping. How about you?"

"Oh, y'know. Livin' in the moment," Jack chuckled, and Ana couldn't help but grin. "My buddies and I are actually going on a road trip together before the new semester starts. Some of us were thinking Vegas, but I know I would love to see the Rocky Mountains."

"Oh, that's cool," Ana said, though she felt her heart sink slightly. "How long are you going to be gone?"

"Well, we're leaving tomorrow, and we're probably going to be gone the whole week."

Ana bit her lip. "That's a shame. My friend Charlie is actually throwing a party on Wednesday before she heads off to college, and I was hoping you'd come with me."

"Aw man," Jack said, sounding genuinely upset. "Charlie's that girl you were with at Dave & Busters, right? That sucks, I don't think I'll be in Portland on Wednesday. I'm sure you'll still have a good time though."

"Yeah, I guess," Ana sighed. "But maybe it's for the best that you aren't there. I think Christian said he was going to go."

Jack chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, putting us in the same room probably isn't the best idea."

The two of them continued to chat for the next few minutes, talking about Charlie's party and Jack's upcoming road trip. Ana found it very easy to talk to Jack - he was easygoing and carefree, and she couldn't help but want to spend more time with him. She was disappointed he was leaving for a whole week, but the two of them agreed to find a time to hang out once he came back and they were both free.

They said their goodbyes, and Ana hung up the phone with a smile on her face.

* * *

The days leading up to Charlie's party were fairly busy for Ana. She had to work every single day at Clayton's, which she was thankful for since that meant she didn't have to stay at home where Jose was. He and his dad continued to visit the Steele family regularly throughout the week - according to Leila, all Jose did when he was there was talk about his job at the _Lady de Bourgh_ and how he couldn't imagine having to work a lowly clerk job at a hardware store like Ana. He had also talked openly to Leila and Kate about how he had asked Ana to Charlie's going-away party, but stated she only rejected him because she already had a secret boyfriend and didn't want to "impugn her honor".

Needless to say, Ana was seriously glad she had rejected Jose when he asked her out. It was amazing how clueless this guy was.

The night of Charlie's party finally arrived, and Ana put on her new coral sleeveless dress with a crew neckline. She did her makeup and curled her hair before going into Kate's room to help her get ready; Kate had a pretty turquoise wrap dress with ruffled short-sleeves that looked elegant yet cute. She had to wear ballet flats instead of heels because of her ankle, but once her hair and makeup were done, Ana thought her sister looked absolutely stunning. Without a doubt, Elliot wouldn't be looking at any other woman for the entire night.

Ana, Kate, Leila, and Jose all went together to _The Evergreen_, a beautiful venue where a lot of parties and wedding receptions were held. Tonight, the place was packed with Charlie's friends and family, and in the corner was an open bar beside a long buffet table filled with delicious-looking food. Near the front of the room was a dance floor and a DJ booth, which was already playing music.

"What a charming little venue!" Jose said, gazing around with a wide grin on his face. He was wearing his usual khaki pants, short-sleeve button-down shirt, and a bright red bowtie.

"Do you think Elliot's here yet?" Ana asked Kate, ignoring Jose as they gazed around the crowded room. Just as she asked that, though, she saw the man himself step away from a small group of people and approach them, smiling widely.

"Good evening, ladies," Elliot said happily. He was wearing a black button-down shirt with dark slacks, which contrasted with his blonde hair and blue eyes. He smiled at Kate, and she blushed as he gave her outfit a onceover. "Wow Kate… you look absolutely phenomenal."

"Thank you," Kate smiled back at him. "You look very handsome yourself."

"Thanks," Elliot's smile widened. "Did you want to go get a drink?"

Kate nodded, and the two of them made their way over to the bar, Elliot helping her along since she opted not to bring her crutches with her. The next moment, Charlie approached Ana and the others, looking beautiful in a pretty black halter dress.

"Good evening, Charlie," Jose said before anyone could get a word out. He smiled widely at her before giving a kind of ridiculous half-bow. "Might I say, you look very lovely this evening."

Charlie blinked, surprised at his compliment, and gave him a small smile. "Um... thanks Jose."

"You're very welcome. Now, I can tell the three of you ladies probably want to have some 'girl talk' right about now, so I'll be sure to get out of your way. Excuse me," he said, and the next moment he was gone. The girls just looked at each other bemusedly before shrugging.

"Where did Kate and Elliot go?" Charlie asked, glancing around the room.

"They went over to the bar. I swear, whenever they're around each other it's like no one else even exists," Ana said humorously.

Charlie smiled. "Well, I think it's adorable."

"So Charlie, are you excited to be leaving for college in a couple days?" Leila asked eagerly.

"Nervous, excited, terrified - all of the adjectives," Charlie said with a nervous giggle. "I put off college for a couple years after high school, but now that I'm finally going, I feel like I"m going to be way older than all the other students."

"It won't be that bad," Ana brushed off with a smile. "You're only twenty-two. The only difference will be that you're too smart to go get trashed with all the other 18-year-old freshmen."

"Thank God," Charlie rolled her eyes, and Ana laughed.

The three girls chatted for a bit before moving over to the buffet table. Leila spotted a couple of her friends and went over to them - Ana knew that since their parents weren't here tonight, the responsibility of watching Leila fell on her and Kate. They needed to make sure Leila and her friends wouldn't take advantage of the open bar tonight.

"Is it just me, or does Christian keep staring at you?" Charlie now said as she and Ana picked up their drinks.

"What?" Ana asked, taking a sip of her gin fizz cocktail. Charlie nodded toward the opposite end of the room, and Ana glanced over to where she indicated. Through the crowd of people, Ana could distinctly see Christian by himself leaning against the wall near the DJ booth, wearing an open-collared white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was nursing a beer and, sure enough, had his gaze locked on Ana. When her eyes met his, however, he looked away.

"He probably thinks there's a stain on my dress or something," Ana rolled her eyes, turning back to Charlie. "Why did he even bother coming tonight if he's just going to be antisocial and weird?"

"No idea," Charlie said, though she didn't say anything else as she took a sip from her vodka tonic, her expression pensive as she continued to gaze over at Christian.

Kate and Elliot now approached them with their drinks, Kate's arm linked through Elliot's, and the four of them began to chat about the party. Ana was having a good time so far, and she couldn't help but take in the room around her; everyone was mingling with each other, and several yards away she noticed Jose engaging Charlie's father in a conversation that appeared completely one-sided.

"Oh, it looks like the dancing has started," Charlie noted, looking over to the dance floor where about a dozen or so people had congregated, dancing to Britney Spears' _Oops I Did it Again_. Leila and her friends were among the group on the dance floor, as were a few boys with them.

"Do you want to go and dance?" Elliot asked Kate, turning to her. "I mean, if your ankle hurts too much, I understand…"

"No, it's fine," Kate said, smiling and blushing slightly. "My ankle feels good enough. I'd love to dance with you"

Elliot smiled, and the two of them set their drinks down on a nearby table before making their way to the dance floor, holding hands. Ana couldn't help but smile as she watched them, wishing she could find a guy who looked at her the same way Elliot looked at Kate.

"I think I'm going to go and save my dad from any more conversation with Jose," Charlie said, nodding over to her dad several yards away. "Wanna come?"

"No way. This one's all you," Ana said, shaking her head. Charlie giggled before excusing herself and walking away, leaving Ana to stand alone near the bar. She took a sip of her gin fizz and gazed at her surroundings.

The Britney Spears song ended and a slow acoustic version of Taylor Swift's _Begin Again_ began to play; the people on the dance floor all broke off into pairs. Ana watched as Elliot pulled Kate to him, the two of them smiling at each other as they slowly swayed to the music.

"Ana, would you like to dance?"

Ana blinked and looked over, realizing Christian had walked up to her without her noticing. He had both of his hands shoved in his pockets, and he was looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

It was almost out of surprise when she sputtered out a yes, and the next moment he led the way onto the dance floor with Ana trailing behind him.

_Crap, am I really going to dance with Christian Grey? _Ana was angry at herself for agreeing to dance with the guy who had ruined Jack's life, but knew there was little she could do about it now. A part of her was curious as to why Christian approached her for a dance in the first place, but concluded that he probably was bored and wanted to do something other than just stand around by himself.

They got onto the dance floor and joined the other couples; Christian placed both hands on Ana's hips while her hands went to his shoulders, only a few inches of space between them. Despite her dislike of the man, Ana couldn't help but notice the firm muscles on his arms or the pleasant, manly scent of his cologne.

They began to slow dance, and Ana looked up to see Christian staring into her eyes. He gave her a polite smile, and Ana grimaced back.

"So how do you like the party so far?" Ana asked, hoping to fill in the awkward silence.

"It's a nice venue," Christian said, glancing around. "Your friend is going to school in Seattle, right?"

"Yeah, she is," Ana said, and she couldn't resist adding on: "Are you and Elliot heading back to Seattle soon?"

"Probably not for a few more weeks. The work here is taking a bit longer than expected," Christian said, and he didn't expound upon that any further. There was another short silence between them as they continued to dance, not meeting each other's gaze as they looked around at the other couples.

"...So we're just going to dance in awkward silence, then?" Ana asked glibly, pursing her lips slightly. Christian looked down at her and smiled.

"We don't have to," he said. "Read any good books lately?" Ana detected a hint of amusement in his voice, and she let out a snort.

"You do not want to engage an English major in a conversation about books," she said seriously. "We'll be here all night."

"Then what do you suggest we talk about?" Christian smiled.

"I don't know," Ana shrugged. "Do anything fun lately?"

"Not really. There's nothing much happening in my life right now except for work... this party is the first time since your dad's birthday I went to a social gathering since I arrived in Portland."

"Charlie, Leila, and I actually went to Dave & Buster's the other day," Ana said, and she suddenly had an urge to mention Jack. Feeling her heart pounding in her ribcage, she blurted out: "I actually met a guy there who said he knew you."

"Oh really?" Christian looked mildly interested. "Who?"

"Jack," she said, gazing at him to gauge a reaction.

It was subtle, but Ana felt his hands on her waist stiffen slightly. The tic in his jaw and the hardening of his expression were a clear indicator he was angry. "Jack Hyde… yeah I knew him."

"It didn't sound like you guys are friends anymore," Ana went on, unafraid of the fact she was probably poking the bear.

"No, we're not," he said simply. "I doubt there are many people who would consider Jack a true friend. If I were you, I wouldn't spend too much time with him."

Ana, remembering Jack with all his frat buddies at the bar, had to resist laughing in Christian's face. "You know, I was starting to think Elliot was your only friend."

"I do have friends," Christian said, mildly defensive as he gazed at her with his eyebrow raised. "Why do you seem so interested in my life, Ms. Steele?"

"I'm just trying to figure you out," she said casually. "You and Elliot are leaving soon, so I probably won't have another opportunity."

"Well then, I'm an open book."

Ana looked into his eyes, and saw that he was looking right back at her. There was an expression on his face she couldn't quite comprehend, and Ana was starting to feel uncomfortable by the closeness they shared.

_Why is he looking at me like that?_

The song ended - they had danced two in a row without realizing it - and the couples all broke apart as a Fallout Boy song began to play. Ana stepped away from Christian, giving him a polite smile.

"Thanks for the dance, Christian," she said, her cheeks pink for some reason. "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye Ana."

With that, Ana turned around and walked toward Charlie, who was standing and chatting with a group of people nearby. Ana realized Christian was probably upset at her for mentioning Jack, but a large part of her didn't care. Jack had given her no reason not to trust him, and Christian's argument was a weak one at best - it was easy for her to figure out what was really going on.

* * *

Christian simply watched Ana walk away, a strange and unfamiliar feeling filling his chest as she did so. She looked beautiful tonight in a coral sleeveless dress that showed off her slender figure, and after having danced two songs holding her in his arms, his head felt like it was in a whirl.

He frowned to himself in annoyance. He had seen plenty of pretty girls before - why was one undergrad from Portland driving him so crazy? What was it about her that made him think about her all the time? He hated that their conversation had drifted to Jack Hyde of all people, but he didn't blame her for that. He had heard Jack was currently staying in Portland, and he hoped Ana would take his advice and not interact with that asshole again.

A giggle from behind him made him turn around, and he saw Kate and Elliot still on the dance floor. They seemed to be goofing around as Elliot had his face pressed into the crook of Kate's neck while she had her face turned away, blushing and giggling. Elliot pulled away and smiled at Kate with a look of such affection on his face that it made Christian raise his eyebrows in surprise.

_Elliot's in love_.

Christian had never seen his friend in love before, but it was crystal clear to anyone who saw him and Kate together that that was the case. Elliot had liked girls before, but this seemed to be on a whole other level.

Christian watched the two of them dancing for another moment or two before finally turning and walking away.

* * *

**A/N: This fic is based off of the story Pride & Prejudice, which many of you may not have read before. That's totally fine, but for anyone who's annoyed with how I'm writing Ana's character just know that it's deliberate. Her first impression of Christian left her feeling inclined not to like him, and as a result she's doubtful of his good character. In other words, she's **_**prejudiced.**_ **(get it?) :)**

**Anyway, I hope you all still liked this chapter. Next chapter, Ana says goodbye to Charlie as she heads off to college, but not before Charlie reveals something that completely takes Ana by surprise. **


	7. The more I see of the world

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

****WARNING** This chapter will touch on a topic that may be triggering to some readers. Please read on with caution.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The more I see of the world**

Ana woke up close to noon the following day, thankful for the fact she didn't have to go to work since Charlie's party went until past three in the morning. When Ana got back home, she was too wiped out to do anything other than change out of her dress and collapse onto her bed. When she finally woke up, the sun was high in the sky, and the makeup she had forgotten to wash off was smeared all over her face.

After a long hot shower where she scrubbed the remnants of makeup off her face, Ana changed into jeans and a t-shirt before heading over to Charlie's house. She knew that Charlie was in the middle of packing for her move to Seattle, which was happening tomorrow, and Ana wanted to spend some quality time with her friend before she had to leave.

"Everything's pretty much packed now," Charlie said as Ana helped her tape up a large box in the corner of her nearly-empty room. "Dad got me a U-Haul truck, but that's just to bring my bed and furniture to my new apartment in the city."

"It's so cool that you're getting your own apartment," Ana grinned, turning her gaze to all her boxes. "I always thought universities made freshmen live in the dorms for their first semester."

"My new apartment is on campus, so it's technically considered university housing," Charlie smiled. "But yeah, I'm glad I won't have to live in a dorm room with some freshman girl right out of high school. I'll have my own space and my own freedom."

"I'm so jealous," Ana rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Sometimes I'm afraid I'll be stuck living at home with Mom and Dad for the next ten years."

"No way. You're going to be graduating with honors in a few months," Charlie insisted. "There are tons of companies that would simply love to hire you."

"I don't know about that. There aren't a lot of job openings in the publishing industry," Ana grimaced. "Even if I have the best grades in the world, it doesn't guarantee I'll get the type of job I want right out of college."

"Well, I have faith in you," Charlie stated. "That should be worth something at least."

"Thank you," Ana giggled, and she checked her watch. "Did you want to go grab lunch now? I'm really hungry for Chipotle."

"In a minute. After I finish packing up these books, we'll be good to go," Charlie said, gesturing to her bookcase where a small stack of books remained. "I, um… I also wanted to talk to you about something before we left."

Charlie looked hesitant, and she didn't meet Ana's eyes as she walked over to the bookcase. Ana frowned after her, feeling concerned.

"What's going on?" she asked, walking up to her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Charlie assured her. "I just thought you should know that… well… Jose stopped by this morning an hour before you came over."

Ana raised her eyebrows. "Really? Why?"

"He wanted to ask me out on a date."

Ana blinked, staring at Charlie in utter shock. "Wait - _what_?" she asked, flabbergasted. "He asked you out?"

Charlie looked uncomfortable as she nodded. "Yeah."

Ana let out an incredulous laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "Wow, he really doesn't know when to quit, does he? I mean, first he asked out Kate and then he asked out me… seriously, he's just embarrassing himself at this point."

Charlie didn't respond to that, which caused Ana to look over at her. She frowned, noticing the expression on her friend's face. "What is it?"

Charlie packed away a couple more books, still not looking up at Ana. "I said yes."

_What?_

Ana stared at her. If there was anything Charlie could have said that would shock Ana more, this was it. "Wait… you said yes to going out on a date with him?" she asked in a tone of utter disbelief.

Charlie nodded. "Yeah."

Ana was speechless, and she felt her face heat up with embarrassment and shock. Did Charlie actually like Jose? Was she upset that Ana had been laughing at him? Now Ana felt terrible, and she didn't know what to say or do to make this better.

"Oh," she said quietly, unsure of what else to say.

"I know what you're thinking," Charlie said after a moment, and Ana looked over at her. Charlie finally looked up from the books to gaze right at her. "And trust me, I get it. Jose is kind of an idiot and I'm not blind to that. I knew what I was doing when I agreed to go on a date with him."

Ana blinked before frowning in confusion. "Okay… but if you don't like him, then why are you going on a date with him?"

Charlie turned back toward the books. "I mean, it's just a date. It's not like we're confessing our love for each other or anything. I figured since he lives in Seattle and I'm going there soon too, going on a date with him isn't the craziest thing in the world. I don't want to go live in a new city without knowing anybody, and this way I won't have to. It's a win-win."

Ana was speechless for a moment or two, taking in what Charlie said. Was she seriously saying the only appeal to dating Jose was logistics? "But you're going to _college_. You're going to meet a lot of cool people and make a ton of new friends, and probably meet an awesome guy who would love to date you. Why do you think you need to settle for Jose?"

"Because… I just do," Charlie said, shrugging awkwardly. "I'm sure you've noticed before, but I'm really awkward around guys. I'm not exactly the type of girl who can just casually flirt with men at a bar. I've never been that good at dating or relationships, and Jose is a perfectly nice guy who I don't feel awkward or uncomfortable around. There's nothing wrong with just wanting to settle for a nice guy."

"Why do you think so little of yourself?" Ana asked, frowning indignantly. "You're awesome, Charlie! You could have any guy you want, and he would be lucky to have you. Don't sell yourself so short."

"That's really sweet of you Ana," Charlie smiled at her friend. "And I appreciate it, but I know what I'm doing. I've been dealing with these issues for most of my life, and I'm okay with my decision."

Ana felt confused and a little concerned by what Charlie had just said. "What do you mean by that?"

Charlie's expression was rather sad. "It's kind of difficult to talk about, but it happened a long time ago, and I've grown a lot from the experience. When I was four years old, my family lived in Indianapolis and an uncle of mine started touching me inappropriately. It went on for several months before my parents found out about it, and they filed a police report against him. He went to jail, and we packed up and moved here to Portland."

Ana covered her mouth with her hand, tears filling her eyes as she stared at her friend in disbelief. "Oh my God, that's horrible. I'm so sorry that happened to you Charlie."

"Don't worry about it, I'm alright. I'd be lying if I said that that experience didn't affect me later in life, but I was still able to move on from what happened for the most part," Charlie said. "Although there are some things I still struggle with."

Ana could remember several instances in the past where guys would hit on Charlie at a bar or at a party, and she'd immediately clam up. Ana had just assumed Charlie was shy or something, but now it was starting to become clear why she was like that.

"So because of what happened to you, you feel that a real romantic relationship is out of the question?" Ana asked, frowning in concern.

"More or less," Charlie nodded. "I get super anxious around guys who flirt with me. I can't really help it, it's just a gut reaction. But I don't feel that kind of anxiety around Jose, and that's why I felt comfortable agreeing to go on a date with him."

Ana didn't know what to say to that. She felt sick to her stomach that one of her best friends had to go through such a horrible experience as a child, and that it continued to affect her to this day. Without thinking, Ana moved forward to pull Charlie into a big hug, and Charlie giggled as she hugged her back.

"I hate that that happened to you," Ana said sincerely, holding her tight. "I hate that you feel like you have to settle for Jose because someone hurt you as a child. I'm holding out hope you'll meet a wonderful, amazing guy at college who you could fall head over heels in love with."

"Thanks Ana, but I'm really not that much of a romantic," Charlie said quietly, finally pulling away. "People fall in and out of love all the time… it kind of sucks, but that's reality. Believe me, I'm okay with settling for someone like Jose, despite his personality flaws."

Ana wasn't sure how she felt about that, but she held her tongue. "If you say so."

"Ready to head out to lunch now?" Charlie asked, finally closing up the last box. "I'll drive."

Ana agreed, and the two of them headed out together, Ana's mind swimming with what Charlie had told her.

* * *

**~The next day~**

Ana had hoped the idea of Charlie and Jose dating would start making sense to her by the following morning, but she was still struggling with it. Charlie was such a smart, level-headed person, and Jose was, well… Jose. The two of them together just didn't make any sense, no matter how she looked at it. If Charlie said she was okay with her choice, though, Ana supposed she should just let it go. It was none of her business anyway, as Kate had stated when Ana told her what Charlie had done.

Charlie was moving to her new apartment in Seattle today. Ana wondered if Jose was going along with her, but apparently he was heading back to Seattle tomorrow with his dad, and he decided to go over to Charlie's house today to help with the move. Ana, Kate, and Leila all went over to Charlie's house around noon, and they immediately noticed the U-Haul truck parked in the driveway. Charlie, her parents, and Jose were all there, packing boxes and furniture into the truck, and Charlie looked up when she heard the sisters approach. She grinned.

"Hi guys!" she said happily, waving. The other girls waved back before walking forward - Charlie approached them, and Jose tried to follow, but instead tripped and fell over a box sitting on the grass.

"I'm okay!" he said, quickly scrambling to his feet.

"So he and Charlie are dating now?" Leila whispered to Ana, looking a bit flabbergasted at the pairing. Ana shushed her, not wanting Charlie to overhear.

"Hi Charlie. Do you need some help packing the truck?" Kate asked Charlie kindly as she approached them.

"No thanks, we're just about done," Charlie smiled at her. "I wouldn't make you lift heavy boxes with your fractured ankle anyway, Kate."

"My ankle's been doing a lot better, actually," Kate smiled, lifting her foot to show off her ankle which no longer had a boot on it. "I can easily lift and carry things without hurting my foot."

"Congratulations on your recovery, Kate," Jose said as he moved over to Charlie's side. "I'm sure you'll be alright, as long as you don't go falling off your bike anymore!"

Kate, who had been run over by another cyclist, didn't correct him as she gave him a polite smile. "Thanks Jose."

"Hi girls!" Mrs. Lucas, Charlie's mother, waved and smiled at the Steele sisters, and the girls all smiled and waved back. Leila walked over to her, and Charlie and Kate soon followed. Ana was about to go with them when Jose stopped her, grabbing her elbow.

"Anastasia, I was hoping to speak to you without Charlie overhearing," he said in a low voice. "Do you mind going over here for a moment?"

"That's okay Jose," Ana said firmly, pulling her arm out of his grasp. "I know you asked out Charlie, it's totally fine."

"Yes, you are correct. I did ask out Charlie," Jose said, nodding gravely. "But I want you to know that, just because I'm dating one of your closest friends, nothing has to change between you and I. I know that Charlie very much values your friendship, and I would hate for you and Charlie to be at odds with each other over me."

Ana couldn't help but stare at Jose in disbelief. "What?"

"I know, it must be very difficult for you," Jose said compassionately, putting a hand on Ana's shoulder. "Your friend is leaving for Seattle, and I'm going along with her. But I have faith everything will be okay… let's try to be adults about this, and we can give Charlie the send off that she deserves. Okay?"

Ana had to bite back her sarcastic retort as she gave Jose a tight smile, reaching up to take his hand off her shoulder. "Okay, Jose."

They walked back over to the others. Charlie's parents were finishing up packing the U-Haul truck, and Charlie herself was preparing to get in her car to leave. She said goodbye to Kate and Leila, all of them smiling and hugging with tears running down their faces.

"Oh my God, I'm such a baby," Charlie giggled, wiping her eyes before turning to Ana. Ana smiled, feeling her own eyes well up as she stepped forward to wrap her arms around her friend.

"I'm gonna miss you," Ana whispered to Charlie as they embraced. "Promise me you'll come back to visit soon."

"Of course I will," Charlie said, pulling away and smiling at Ana. "But not before you come and visit me in Seattle. I want to show off my new life and my new apartment to you."

"Deal," Ana grinned, and then added in a whisper: "As long as you don't make me hang out with Jose too much while I'm there."

"No problem," Charlie whispered back, and both girls giggled.

Soon, Charlie had finished packing up all of her things, and got in the car while her parents got in the U-Haul truck. Ana, Kate, Leila, and Jose watched them as they drove down the road and out of sight.

As the four of them left the Lucas's house and headed back home, Ana's thoughts dwelled on Charlie and Jose. She felt like she could sort of understand why Charlie agreed to go on a date with Jose, but her heart couldn't bring herself to fully agree with that decision. Settling for whoever was convenient just didn't feel right to Ana… loving someone and being loved by that person was the whole reason why people dated, wasn't it? Why would someone date for any reason except for love?

Charlie was a wonderful person, and Ana couldn't help but feel a bit bad for her. Finding love is hard for everyone, and Ana hated that Charlie somehow didn't feel like she deserved to have it. Ana still hoped Charlie would find someone in college who would love and appreciate her for the wonderful person she was.

_Could Jack be that 'someone' for me?_

When it came to her own love life, Ana knew beyond a doubt she wanted to be with someone who made her feel something real. She would never be able to deny herself true love, and as long as there were guys like Jack who made her heart pound and her cheeks blush, then she was going to keep pursuing what her heart truly desired.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this! Next chapter, Christian and Elliot get ready to head back to Seattle, and Kate wonders what her relationship with Elliot will be like after he leaves.**


	8. A sort of conceited independence

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: A sort of conceited independence**

**~One week later~**

The fall semester had officially begun now, and for Ana and her sisters, life became much busier than before. Jose and Charlie were now both in Seattle, and while Ana missed her friend a lot, she was thankful she no longer had to suffer through Jose's presence here in Portland anymore. Leila was now a junior in high school, and since she had just gotten her driver's license a few months ago, Ray and Carla let her drive herself to school everyday. Ana, since she had only online classes to take, stayed at home at her computer to work on assignments, occasionally taking her laptop to the local library to get her work done there.

Kate was going back to work at the coffee shop soon since she was no longer in school. Her ankle was almost completely healed now, which she was clearly very excited about, but something else prevented her from being happy. Ana couldn't help but take notice.

"So has Elliot called at all?" Ana now asked, walking into Kate's bedroom. Kate was sitting at her desk while staring down at her phone in her hand. She glanced up at Ana before blushing slightly.

"I'm sure he's just busy," she said dismissively, setting her phone down on her desk. "Dad said Elliot's crew is finishing up the construction project within the next few days."

"That's no excuse for him giving you the cold shoulder," Ana frowned indignantly. "When was the last time you guys talked?"

"We texted three days ago, but since then there's been nothing."

"And have you texted him at all since then?"

Kate nodded morosely. "Twice."

Ana felt her heart sink. She couldn't imagine why Elliot wanted to avoid Kate, and she hated that her sister was so upset by it. "Oh."

"I mean, it's not like he and I were boyfriend and girlfriend anyway," Kate said, shrugging. "He's not obligated to keep in contact with me every single day of the week."

She was trying to put on a brave face, and it made Ana's heart break for her. She walked over and wrapped her arms around Kate's shoulders from behind, hugging her tightly, and Kate let out a giggle.

"I'm sure he'll text you soon," Ana said with confidence. "Just give it a little time. He'd be absolutely crazy to not want to spend as much time with you as he possibly could."

"Thanks Ana," Kate smiled. "I feel so dumb. I don't want to be all clingy or anything, but I really did enjoy spending time with Elliot for the short time that he's been here."

"You guys can still enjoy each other's company. Do you really think that he's just going to drop you as soon as he goes back to Seattle?" Ana asked, letting go of Kate.

"I don't know," Kate shrugged, nodding toward her phone. "I mean, it does kind of feel that way."

Ana felt her anger simmer in the pit of her stomach. Where the hell did Elliot get off, playing with Kate's emotions like that? Was it really only because he lived 3 hours away in a different city? Ana had thought the distance wouldn't have played a factor in their relationship, but apparently Elliot didn't think it was worth the effort.

"Well, in that case, Elliot's a big jerk for treating you like this," Ana insisted. Kate smiled rather sadly.

"Don't worry about me, Ana. I'll be okay," she shook her head. "But enough about me, what about you? Are you still talking to Jack? Is he still on his road trip?"

"He got back a few days ago, and his semester at WSU just started," Ana explained, walking over to sit on Kate's bed. "He's been really busy with his classes, but he and I find time to text each other everyday."

"That's great Ana. I'm really happy for you," Kate smiled sincerely. "So you like him then?"

"Yeah, kind of," Ana shrugged, blushing slightly. "I mean, I don't think we're Romeo and Juliet or anything, but I do feel like I want to get to know him better. I'm fine with just spending more time with him and seeing where this goes."

"So no wedding bells in your future, huh?" Kate asked with a smirk, and Ana let out an incredulous laugh.

"Oh hell no."

"Has he spoken anymore about his situation with Christian?" Kate asked, curious.

"Sort of," Ana said. "We've talked about stories from when we were younger, and a lot of his childhood was with Christian and the Grey family. But he doesn't really talk about Christian himself, he just kind of clams up about him."

"That's understandable," Kate nodded. "I'm sure it's difficult for him to talk about, especially since he knows you know Christian."

"Well, it's not like Christian and I are BFFs or anything," Ana rolled her eyes. "But yeah, I see your point."

"You shouldn't force Jack to talk about his past if he doesn't want to," Kate stated. "It's his story, and if he doesn't want to expound upon it more with you, then you shouldn't push him."

"Don't worry, I won't," Ana said, getting to her feet. "I'm going take Leila out to Dave & Busters again tonight to celebrate the new semester. Do you want to come?"

"No thanks, I have to be up at 6am tomorrow to work at the coffee shop," Kate said with an apologetic smile. "You two have fun though."

"Okay. Let me know if you change your mind."

Ana moved toward the door before glancing back at Kate, who had once again picked up her phone to gaze down at the screen, as if willing it to alert her with an incoming text from Elliot. Ana let out a small sigh before turning and walking out the room, feeling her heart hurt for her sister.

* * *

Ana and Leila headed out to Dave & Busters later that night, and on a whim Ana decided to text Jack to invite him along. To her delight he said he could come, and within a half an hour he and two of his frat buddies had joined them at the arcade. All of them were having a great time together playing skeeball and trying out some of the VR headsets; Leila was having almost a little too much fun flirting and giggling with Jack's friends, which worried Ana. Leila may have thought it was cute to flirt with college guys, but Ana didn't know much about them and what their intentions were. Ana knew Leila well enough to know she would never act on her flirtations, however, so that was a small comfort.

Ana and Jack managed to get away from the others for a few minutes to get drinks at the bar, and Ana raised her concerns about Leila.

"Oh, don't worry about Denny and Sanders," Jack said, waving his hand dismissively. "They both have girlfriends, and they know that Leila's underage. They'd never take advantage of her like that."

"That's good to know," Ana said, feeling slightly comforted. "It's just hard having a little sister, especially as she gets older. I feel like I'm constantly worrying about her."

"Well, I never had a little sister, unless you count Mia Grey," Jack said, his demeanor become a bit more reserved. "Although I don't really talk to her anymore, for obvious reasons."

Ana gave him a sympathetic smile. "Is Mia like her brother at all?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Jack grimaced. "She used to be really sweet and kind-hearted, and I always loved playing with her when we were little. But she's grown up and become much more selfish and mean… from what I understand, Christian is paying for her to go to some fancy culinary school on the West coast."

Ana couldn't help but chuckle incredulously. "Wow. It must be nice to have a rich brother."

"Tell me about it," Jack grinned. The bartender finally handed them their drinks, and they made their way back to the arcade. "Denny and Sanders always joke about what they would do with the money I would've had from Carrick. As if they would know what to do with themselves if they were that rich!"

Ana looked at Jack in surprise. "They know about what happened to you?"

"Of course," Jack said easily, taking a sip of beer. "I tell them everything. They don't know Christian personally, though, at least not like you."

"Oh," Ana said, unsure of how to feel about that. She took a sip of her gin and tonic, thinking about how strange it was that his story, which he had told her in confidence, was so easy for him to tell to his friends. But he had also confessed to her his frat brothers were like his only family, so she supposed it made sense he would tell them about his past.

Ana decided not to dwell on it anymore as she and Jack made their way through the crowd and back toward Leila, Denny, and Sanders over by the DDR machines.

* * *

A couple days later, Ana learned that Ray and Elliot had finally finished their construction project, and Elliot was going to be heading back to Seattle soon with Christian. Ana knew this day was coming at some point, but she couldn't help but feel disappointed… Elliot was still ignoring Kate for some reason, and it had now been a whole week. It was clear he didn't want to speak to her, and it hurt Ana to see her sister so upset by it. She had hoped Elliot and Kate could have worked out their issues before he left, but that likely wasn't going to happen.

There was still hope, however. Ray decided to throw a barbecue at the house that evening for all his workers, Elliot included. Ana had to convince Kate, who was reluctant to face Elliot again, to attend the barbecue wearing a cute outfit and a little extra makeup.

"I can't believe you made me do this," Kate grumbled at Ana, tugging at the hem of the cute low-cut tank top Ana made her wear.

"Stop fussing," Ana insisted, grasping Kate's hand. "You look awesome."

The backyard patio of the Steele home was currently packed with people chatting and mingling with one another, and at the far end of the deck stood Elliot with Christian and a few other people.

"You're doing fine, Kate," Ana assured her. "You have no reason to be ashamed or nervous."

"Yeah," Leila piped up from Kate's other side. "You should go and talk to him."

"What?" Kate's eyes widened as she looked at Leila. "I can't do that! What would I even say?"

"Just make small-talk with him about the party," Ana suggested. "It shouldn't be that hard. You've talked to him like that before."

"Yeah, before he started ignoring me," Kate muttered, looking down.

"Don't think like that," Leila said bracingly. "Just go and talk to him, and you'll know for sure where his head is at."

Kate didn't say anything for a moment or two as she gazed over at Elliot, who was still in a conversation with Christian and a few other guys. She looked away and shook her head, her cheeks pink. "No. If Elliot has anything to say to me, he can come find me himself."

With that, she turned and walked in the other direction toward where Ray was grilling some hamburgers. Ana and Leila watched her, both feeling rather dejected.

"I don't get why Kate's so reserved about showing her feelings," Leila said, and Ana looked at her. "It's like ever since Elliot came along, she just clams up and acts all shy and stuff."

"Kate's always been a bit shy," Ana pointed out. "And she likes Elliot a lot. I can imagine it must be hard for her to show how she's really feeling."

"Yeah, but if she doesn't at least _try _to talk to Elliot or show him that she cares, he might never know how she really feels about him," Leila said seriously. Ana couldn't help but laugh at that statement.

"Are you serious? Of course he knows how Kate feels about him," Ana looked over at Elliot. "He'd have to be completely blind not to know. "

Leila grimaced. "I hope you're right."

Ana didn't say anything as she gazed at Elliot across the deck; he was turned away so she couldn't see his face, but she saw Christian look up from their conversation toward her and Leila. He said something to Elliot before walking over to them.

"Uh oh… here comes Mr. Jerkface," Leila muttered under her breath so only Ana could hear. Ana discreetly shushed her, trying not to giggle.

"Hi," Christian greeted them politely, his eyes on Ana.

"Hi Christian," Ana nodded at him. "Glad you could make it to my dad's barbecue."

"Thank you. I'm glad to be here," he said, still in that cordial tone of voice.

There was a short awkward silence as the three of them just stood there, avoiding eye contact. "I think I'm going to go see what Mariah's up to," Leila said, and before Ana could stop her she walked away, shooting a look over at her sister as she did so.

_Great_

Ana didn't really want to speak to Christian alone, but she figured she had no choice. "So what can I do for you?"

Christian hesitated a moment before clearing his throat and shoving his hands in his pockets. "I just thought I'd come over here to say goodbye. Elliot and I are heading back to Seattle tomorrow, and we probably won't be in the Portland area again anytime soon."

"So I've heard," Ana said simply. Since she was so curious about Elliot, she couldn't help but ask: "Do you have any idea what's going on with Elliot? He's apparently been ghosting Kate for the past week or so."

An unreadable expression fell over Christian's face. "I can't say," he said in a rather flat voice.

Ana raised her eyebrows. "You can't say or you don't know?"

"I don't know," he said, still in that odd flat voice. "That's something only Elliot can talk about, not me."

That was a very weird non-answer, but Ana decided to let it go. "Whatever."

There was another short silence, and Ana wasn't really sure what else to say. She had no idea why Christian came over to talk to her if he was just going to be all weird and reserved like this.

Christian cleared his throat again. "Well, I should be getting back. If I don't see you again… goodbye."

Ana gave him a smile that was more like a grimace. "Goodbye."

With that, he swiftly turned and walked away. Ana watched him leave, not at all sorry to see him go.

She then turned her gaze over to Elliot. He was now facing her direction and she could see the expression on his face: there was a pronounced sallow complexion in his features and a sadness in his usually bright and happy eyes. Ana distinctly saw him glance over at Kate standing by the grills.

_He's miserable._

Ana could see it clear as day, and she watched as Christian walked over to Elliot and placed a hand on his shoulder, saying something to him. Elliot nodded, and the two of them then made their way off the deck toward the back door, leaving the party.

Ana was shocked… she had assumed Elliot was just being a jerk to Kate, but now she wondered if something else was going on with him. He was obviously miserable without Kate, so why was he deliberately ignoring her? She wanted to find out, but he and Christian were already gone.

Ana didn't know what was going on, but for the first time in days, she felt hopeful that her sister and Elliot could find a way back to each other. Elliot lived up in Seattle though… maybe Ana could convince Kate to make a trip up there soon?

_Perhaps we could pay Charlie a visit?_

Ana smiled to herself, thinking of how she could get Kate and Elliot back together again.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Kate and Ana go and visit Charlie up in Seattle. **


	9. Crossed a little in love

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Crossed a little in love**

**~3 weeks later~**

With Elliot and Christian now having left Portland, life had pretty much gone back to the way it used to be around the Steele home. The only difference now was that Kate seemed a lot more subdued than usual, though she clearly tried to hide how upset she was by Elliot leaving without saying goodbye. Ana was convinced that Elliot still liked Kate, and that he left her because of circumstances beyond his control, though she had no idea what those circumstances were. Ana felt awful for her sister, and she wished more than anything Kate could somehow overcome her broken heart and feel happy again.

Leila was a whole different story, but Ana couldn't bring herself to worry about her as much. Leila was being a typical teenager, and would often seclude herself up in her room after school and blast music loudly or have hours-long conversations with her friends on the phone. She only showed her face around dinner-time, and she spent pretty much the whole meal texting on her phone in silence. While Leila had always tended to be a bit more reserved with her family since she became a teenager, ever since her junior year started, it's like her whole snarky attitude amped up to an extreme degree. Ana hoped Ray and Carla would talk to Leila soon before her behavior got to be too bad.

In addition to all this, Charlie and Ana made sure to keep in contact while Charlie continued to attend university in Seattle. Her classes were going well apparently, and although Ana never asked, she had the distinct impression Charlie and Jose were still a thing. Charlie didn't seem too keen to talk about it, though, and Ana decided not to mention it.

Charlie had invited Ana and Kate up to Seattle to visit her for a weekend in late September, right after Ana's birthday. Kate seemed reluctant to go, considering the fact that the guy who broke her heart was currently in Seattle, but Ana eventually managed to twist her arm by assuring her they wouldn't see him while they were there.

However, that didn't stop Ana from thinking of ways she and Charlie could "accidentally" get Kate and Elliot in the same room together at some point…

* * *

"You excited to visit Charlie this weekend?"

Kate and Ana were currently on a bus going from Portland to Seattle. They figured this was the easiest and cheapest way of making the three-hour long trip, and Kate and Ana could just kick back and relax as the bus took them to their destination.

Kate had been silently watching the scenery out the window, and she glanced over at her sister before smiling. "Of course I am."

Her expression was sincere, but there was something else in her eyes that made Ana gaze at her with concern. "Are you alright?"

Kate's smile faded as she looked down at her lap, shrugging. "I mean, I guess I am still thinking about Elliot. You and I are going to be arriving in Seattle soon, and he's going to be there… I know we're not visiting him this weekend, but I still can't help thinking about him."

Ana took Kate's hand and squeezed it. "Are you sure you don't want us to pay him a visit while we're in Seattle? I've been telling you for weeks, I really do think he wants to be with you…"

"It's fine, Ana," Kate said assuredly, squeezing her hand back. "I don't want to see him. You and I are going to Seattle to spend time with Charlie, and that's what this weekend should be about."

The bus had finally reached Seattle, and Ana and Kate gazed out the window in delight at all the tall skyscrapers and the Space Needle which they drove past. They finally arrived at the bus stop, and they and everyone else on the bus got off and went to the side compartments to grab their bags. Once Ana and Kate had gotten their suitcases, they heard their names being called:

"Ana! Kate!"

The sisters turned and grinned widely when they saw Charlie getting out of her car, which she parked on the street right behind the bus. Their excitement of seeing their friend was diminished slightly when they saw Jose getting out of the passenger side door.

"Hey stranger," Ana smiled, walking forward to hug Charlie hello. "Long time no see!"

"It's wonderful to see you again," Kate smiled, moving forward to hug Charlie too.

"It's wonderful to see _both_ of you again!" Jose suddenly exclaimed, moving in between Ana and Kate to put his arms around their bodies, pulling them toward him so they were pressed up uncomfortably against his sides. "Charlie and and I missed you a lot. I feel like we have so much catching up to do!"

"Um, yeah Jose," Ana grimaced in discomfort as she and Kate tried to gently extract themselves from his grip.

"Are you guys hungry? It's getting pretty late, so I was thinking we could just order a pizza once we get back to my place," Charlie said, moving forward to take Ana's and Kate's bags. "I can show you around campus first thing tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good," Kate smiled, and she helped Charlie load their luggage into the trunk of her car.

The four of them got in the car and Charlie drove them toward her apartment, which was only about ten minutes away from the bus stop. Charlie talked excitedly about the city and her classes, and Ana and Kate listened attentively; Jose would occasionally try to interrupt to talk about his job at the art studio, but no one really paid attention to him.

They arrived at Charlie's apartment and brought their things inside. The place was a cute, one-bedroom space with a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and a small kitchenette. An air mattress was set up near the couch in the living room.

"You guys can sleep here, but if one of you wants to bunk on the couch, that's an option too," Charlie said, bringing their bags over to the mattress.

"The air mattress should be fine," Ana said, smirking over at her sister. "Although, I have to say, I used to share a bedroom with Kate and I know for a fact she snores."

"I do not," Kate said, affronted. "But even if I did, it would less annoying than you leaving the TV on to fall asleep to."

"I leave it on mute," Ana said defensively.

"Ooh, we should watch a movie tonight!" Charlie piped up excitedly. "I have a subscription to Netflix."

"That's a great idea! I've been watching that show _Black Mirror_, we could watch that," Ana suggested.

"No, that show's too creepy," Kate said. "Let's watch something fun, like a rom com."

"How about _Pretty Woman_? Or _Legally Blonde_," Charlie suggested.

"Let's watch both," Ana grinned.

"How about we watch something we all like?" Jose said.

The other girls looked at him before glancing at each other a bit awkwardly. Ana had honestly forgotten he was there.

"That's okay Jose. You don't have to stay for our girl's movie night," Charlie said to him with a smile. "Besides, didn't you mention you needed to head over to the _Lady de Bourgh_ before it closes tonight?"

"Oh my God, you're right," Jose said, quickly checking his watch. "I better head over right now! My deepest apologies ladies, but it appears I can't stick around for a movie night tonight."

The girls assured him it was fine, and with that Jose grabbed his jacket before saying a rushed goodbye and hurrying out the door.

"What does he have to do at the art studio?" Ana asked Charlie as soon as he was gone.

"He's taken it upon himself to double-check the shipment orders his superiors already looked over and signed off on," Charlie said, looking both amused and exasperated.

"Is that really necessary?" Kate asked with a frown. Charlie shrugged.

"Probably not, but he likes to keep busy," she said. She walked over to her purse to grab her phone. "Did you want to order that pizza now?"

Kate and Ana agreed, and the three of them began to settle in on the couch to begin their movie night.

* * *

The next morning, the girls all woke up relatively early and went out for some coffee at an on-campus cafe. After they finished breakfast, Charlie took them on a tour around the campus; since Charlie was a biology major, she started by showing them the College of Science and Engineering in the Bannan building. It was a beautiful, modern-looking establishment that almost made Ana regret not going to a university like this for her higher education.

Once Charlie finished showing them that building, she took them around the rest of the university, pointing out places she liked to do her homework, such as the library or the quad. They then ran into one of Charlie's classmates from her Environmental Biology class, a nineteen-year-old freshman girl named Kendra, and the four of them stood around and chatted for a few minutes. Even though it was a weekend, Ana saw hundreds of college-age students wandering around the whole campus carrying backpacks, talking with one another, and looking at their phones while wearing earbuds.

Once Kendra finally walked away, Charlie suggested they go to a Japanese sushi restaurant on the edge of campus for lunch, and Kate and Ana agreed. It was only a few blocks away, and they got there in a relatively short amount of time.

Once they were seated at a booth and the waitress had taken their orders, Kate excused herself to go to the bathroom. The moment she was gone, Ana immediately turned to Charlie:

"So I was thinking of a way to get Elliot and Kate together when we all go out for drinks later tonight…" she began, and Charlie immediately grinned.

"What's your plan?"

Ana began to explain what she wanted to do, and Charlie eagerly agreed. The two of them were whispering and giggling when Kate finally emerged from the bathroom, her phone in her hand.

"Hey guys. Do you mind if I skip out on going out for drinks tonight?" she asked, sitting down across from them.

Ana and Charlie both froze as they stared at Kate in surprise. "Um… why?" Ana asked hesitantly after a moment.

"I was just texting with Liza Gardiner, my old roommate from college," Kate explained. "She and her husband are currently living in Seattle, and she just had a baby girl a few weeks ago. She asked if I wanted to come over for a visit tonight, and I said yes."

Ana and Charlie exchanged a glance, the wary expressions on their faces making Kate frown in confusion. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Um… well, we were just really hoping you would come out for drinks with us tonight," Charlie said unconvincingly. Kate still looked confused, however, and Ana decided to just tell her:

"We were planning on inviting Elliot to join us," she admitted reluctantly. "It was going to be a surprise."

Kate's confused look immediately faded into an expression of sadness and trepidation. "No Ana. I already told you I'm not seeing Elliot this weekend."

"Please Kate, just consider it," Ana insisted. "I know that he misses you as much as you miss him. I'm sure of it!"

"And what if he doesn't miss me?" Kate pointed out. "You'd just be embarrassing yourself, and me, for thinking that he actually cares. It's just not worth it."

"But even if he doesn't care, which I don't think is true, you can at least know for sure and finally get closure," Ana said seriously. Kate didn't say anything, so she went on: "Here's what I'll do… I'll message him on Facebook to say that you and I are in town and we'll be going to _The Hunsford_ for drinks later tonight. I'll casually invite him to come by if he wants, and if he says he will, then you'll come out for drinks tonight."

"And if he says no, you can go visit your friend Liza instead," Charlie added.

Kate was silent for a few moments as she seemed to mull everything over in her mind. Finally, reluctantly, she nodded her head with a sigh. "Fine."

Ana and Charlie both smiled in excitement. "Thank you Kate. You won't regret this," Ana said brightly, immediately tapping on her phone screen.

"Let me see what you're writing before you send it," Kate insisted as Ana typed the message on her phone. After a minute, Ana held the screen out for her to read:

_Hey Elliot - long time no see! Not sure if you heard, but Kate and I are in town for the weekend hanging out w/ Charlie. We'll be at The Hunsford on Bailey Street tonight at 8pm if you want to join us. Let me know!_

"So can I send it?" Ana asked as Kate finished reading. Kate tried to hide how nervous she was as she nodded.

"Yeah."

Ana pressed Send, and she and Charlie gazed down at the phone screen, waiting expectantly for the response. Ana felt confident Elliot would message her back immediately saying he would come by, and she watched her phone with bated breath.

Suddenly, the words "_Seen: 12:54pm" _appeared underneath Ana's text bubble, and she felt her heart jump to her throat in excitement. So he had seen her message… she waited impatiently for his response, watching for whenever the three dots to indicate he was typing something would appear, but after about thirty seconds or so, Ana's excitement began to fade. Her expectant look turned into disappointment, and she and Charlie exchanged worried glances.

_Dammit._

"What is it?" Kate asked. She looked nervous and hopeful at the same time. "What did he say?"

Ana silently handed her the phone, and Kate took it, gazing down at the screen. She saw the "Seen" marker underneath Ana's message with no pending response from Elliot, and she looked back up at her sister with a rather sad smile. "I figured as much. He doesn't want to see me."

"You don't know that," Ana insisted, frowning sadly. "Maybe he's just too busy to respond right now or something."

"It's fine, Ana. I didn't really expect Elliot to want to come out tonight," Kate assured her, though Ana could sense the sadness in her voice. "I can go visit my friend Liza tonight, and you and Charlie can go out with Jose to _The Hunsford_ for a few drinks. I'm perfectly fine with that."

"I'm sorry Kate," Charlie said sincerely, looking genuinely upset.

Kate gave her a small, grateful smile, but didn't say anything as the waitress had now walked up with a tray of their food.

As they ate and chatted over their sushi, Ana couldn't help but feel angry at Elliot as well as sorry for Kate, who she knew was deeply hurt by his rejection. Ana wished she had never stuck her nose in her and Elliot's business, but also couldn't help but feel Elliot really did want to see Kate again. She had no idea why he was giving her the cold shoulder, but whatever the reason was, Ana figured it was better if she just stayed out of it from here on out.

Despite her heartbreak, Kate was still able to put on a happy face for the rest of their lunch, and the three of them had a relatively good time talking about the places they wanted to go this afternoon. Once they finished their food and left the restaurant, Charlie continued to take them around campus, showing them all the sights of the city before they went back to her place to get ready for their night out.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Next up, Ana spends her evening out with Charlie and Jose at The Hunsford, and while they're there, a familiar face shows up.**


	10. Your arrogance, your conceit

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Your arrogance, your conceit**

_The Hunsford_ was pulsing with life this Saturday night in Seattle. It was easy to tell this place was popular amongst the university students, and Ana, Charlie, and Jose all had to squeeze their way through the large crowd of people so they could get to the bar and order some drinks.

"We should go find a table," Charlie yelled over crowd of people once they got their beers, and Ana nodded in agreement. The three of them wended their way through the crowd before eventually finding a recently-vacated table in a corner that was a bit quieter.

"Phew, it's really packed in here," Charlie let out a breathless giggle as they sat down. She was wearing a cute off-the-shoulder purple shirt with smokey eye makeup and her normally straight hair in curls around her shoulders.

"Yeah. It should be pretty crazy once the dance floor opens up," Ana grinned. She was wearing a cute pink halter top and skinny jeans with high-heeled ankle boots, and smokey eye makeup similar to Charlie's. Jose was wearing his usual polo shirt tucked into khaki pants, though in an attempt to look like he fit into this "cool" crowd, he undid the top button of his shirt so his collar popped out a little more.

"Yes, I do believe dancing would be a lot of fun at this establishment," Jose smiled widely, gazing at the people around him. "I am a pretty exceptional dancer, if I do say so myself. Anastasia, could I trouble you for joining me on the dance floor for the first song?"

Ana exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Charlie. "Um… that's okay, Jose. I was just joking, I wasn't really planning on dancing tonight. Plus, I don't really want to leave Charlie at the table all alone."

"Oh… well, yes… that would be rude of us. My apologies, sweetheart," Jose stammered, glancing guiltily over at Charlie. She gave him a tight smile, but didn't say anything, and Ana wished fervently Kate was by her side right now.

Ana thought about her sister, and hoped she would be okay tonight knowing that Elliot didn't want to see her. Kate was visiting her friend Liza at the moment, and she seemed happy to be doing that, though Ana wished she still could've come out tonight. Elliot was still giving her the cold shoulder, however, and Ana supposed there was nothing to be done about it.

Ana, Charlie, and Jose drank their beers and chatted for the next few minutes, talking about what they wanted to do tomorrow. Jose offered to show Ana around the _Lady de Bourgh _art studio, but before Ana could think of an excuse not to go, she happened to glance over at the front door the moment someone she recognized walked in, and it caused her to almost choke on her beer.

_What the hell is Christian doing here?_

He was with another man, who was a bit shorter and had a buzzcut. Christian himself was looking casual and handsome in a black collared sweater with the sleeves rolled up and dark wash jeans. Ana could only stare at him in shock and confusion as he and the other guy made their way through the crowd and over to the bar.

"Is that Christian?" Charlie asked, noticing what Ana was looking at.

"Yeah, it is," Ana said in a tone of surprise, turning back to her and Jose. "Why the hell is he at a college bar on a Saturday?"

Charlie's eyebrows were raised as she glanced between Ana and Christian, but the barest of smiles reached her lips as she brought her beer to her mouth, her eyes fixed on Ana. "No idea."

Before Ana could say anything else, she heard someone approach their table:

"Ana… what a surprise."

Ana turned to see Christian standing there, gazing down at her with his hands in his pockets.

"Christian," Ana greeted him politely, raising her eyebrows. "What a coincidence. What are you doing here?"

"My cousin William is in town for the week, so I thought I'd take him out for a drink tonight," Christian explained. Ana wanted to ask why they chose this bar in particular, but at that moment, the other guy approached them carrying two beers.

"Everyone, this is my cousin William," Christian introduced him to the table. "William, this is Ana, Charlie, and Jose. I met them while Elliot and I were in Portland a few weeks ago."

"Nice to meet you all," William smiled widely. He wasn't as handsome as Christian, but Ana thought he had a very charming smile.

"Would you guys like to join us?" Charlie offered politely.

"Sure, thank you," Christian said, he and William grabbed a couple empty chairs nearby and pulled them up to the table. Ana shot her friend a discreet look before scooting down the table to make room, and Charlie smirked back at her.

The five of them chatted for the next twenty minutes or so. William was very friendly and engaging, similar to how Elliot was, and Ana felt glad he was there since Christian offered little to the conversation. It was rather annoying, since Christian was seated right next to her, and she could feel his eyes directly on her whenever she was talking.

Charlie mentioned she had to go to the bathroom, and Ana quickly followed, leaving the others alone at the table to talk. The two of them made it into the bathroom where Ana was finally able to complain openly to her friend:

"God, can you believe our luck?" she asked spitefully, walking over to the sinks to check her makeup in the mirror. "Of all the bars in Seattle Christian could have taken his cousin to, he has to take him to the one we're at. And on the same night too!"

Charlie giggled as she walked up beside Ana to check her own makeup in the mirror. "I don't think it's a coincidence, Ana."

"What do you mean?" Ana glanced at Charlie with a frown. "You think he came here on purpose?"

"Elliot knew we were coming here tonight, so it's possible he mentioned it to Christian," Charlie said fairly. "Christian's motivation for coming here is obviously _you_, Ana. Have you really not noticed how much that man has been staring at you all night?"

"Seriously?" Ana rolled her eyes. "Christian doesn't like me. The man barely talks to me, and I've hardly been very nice to him."

"I suppose so," Charlie said, in a tone that indicated she wasn't convinced. "But still… it's quite a coincidence he's here tonight."

Ana didn't say anything to that, but she still thought Charlie's assumption about Christian was preposterous. Ana decided not to dwell on it too much as she and Charlie emerged from the bathroom to walk back to their table. They noticed some pop music had started to play and people were converging onto the nearby dance floor.

"Charlie! Will you do me the honor of dancing this song with me?" Jose asked the moment she and Ana approached the table.

"Oh, um… sure Jose," Charlie said, smiling politely. "Excuse us, everyone."

Jose and Charlie made their way across the bar toward the dance floor, and Ana took a seat across from Christian and William.

"So is your friend Charlie and that Jose guy dating?" William asked, nodding toward them as they walked away.

"Yeah, they are," Ana said, trying to hide her grimace.

"Wow. I mean, that's cool. I just never would've guessed that," William said in a tone of surprise.

"It happened pretty recently," Ana explained. "My family has known Jose's family for years, when he came to visit us in Portland a few weeks ago, that's how he and Charlie initially met."

"Oh, I see. Christian mentioned he met you guys in Portland around that same time too," William said, smiling over at his cousin. "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah, just about," Christian nodded.

"So let me guess…" William turned to Ana with a grin. "He barely spoke three words to anyone while he was there and was super awkward, am I right? Christian hates being in public."

Ana smiled back, enjoying William's playful teasing of his cousin: "As a matter of fact, he _was_ pretty quiet. The first time I met him we were at my dad's birthday party, and all he did was stand by himself in a corner and not talk to anyone."

William laughed at that picture of his cousin, and even Christian offered a smile. "Oh my God, I can _totally _see Christian doing something like that! What's wrong with you, dude?"

"I'm not good at meeting new people," Christian said defensively. "Especially in casual settings, like at a party. I'm more used to business settings, otherwise I don't know what to say or how to conduct myself, and I tend to go quiet and keep to myself."

"Well, maybe you should practice more," Ana suggested, and Christian looked at her. "It's like playing a musical instrument - a lot of people struggle with being in social settings, but the more they do it, the easier it becomes."

"And do you speak from experience, Ms. Steele?" Christian asked with an arch smile, and Ana couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't think your cousin trusts me," Ana said to William, who smiled. "When I go to parties, I do try to meet new people, and sometimes it can be a struggle. It's something I work at, and I know that it's a thing a lot of other people have to work at too."

"Well, it's good to know I'm not the only one with personal flaws," Christian smiled.

Ana saw that he was staring directly at her once again, but before she could ask why he was looking at her like that, she heard his phone ring with an incoming call. He frowned before picking it up and looking at the caller ID.

"It's my CFO," he said, getting to his feet. "I should take this. Excuse me."

Ana and William watched as he turned and walked toward the door, weaving his way through the crowd before disappearing in the distance. William turned back to Ana with a small grin. "If it's a work call after hours, he's probably going to be gone for at least twenty minutes."

Ana raised her eyebrows with a chuckle. "Wow, that long?"

"Yeah. The dude's a busy guy, but that's how he's able to earn a boatload of money," William said. "But I'm not complaining… he said all drinks are on him tonight, so he can take as many work calls as he wants."

Ana couldn't help but giggle. "Since he's so rich, I almost wonder why he decided to take you to this hole-in-the-wall college bar for drinks rather than a place that's more high-brow."

"Oh, I think he mentioned Elliot had wanted to come here tonight," William explained. "I'm not sure why exactly, but it doesn't matter anyway since Elliot isn't feeling well tonight and couldn't make it."

Ana blinked, feeling a weird pit in her stomach as William said that. "Oh."

"Just between you and me," William went on, leaning in slightly so Ana could hear better. "I think Elliot's just moping around, and that's why he didn't want to come out tonight."

This immediately piqued Ana's interest, and she stared at William with her eyebrows raised. "Really?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "From what I understand, about a month ago there was this girl he was super into, but it turned out she was a gold digger or something, and he had to let her go."

Whatever Ana had expected William to say, this definitely wasn't it. "I'm sorry, _what_?" she sputtered after a moment. "A gold digger?"

"Yeah," William affirmed. "Elliot's company is worth a lot of money, so there are plenty of women out there who want him just for his bank account. It kind of sucks, but that's the reality."

Ana tried to hide her anger over this grossly inaccurate portrait of her sweet, kind-hearted sister. "And did you ever meet this girl?" she asked, her voice restrained. "How do you know for sure that she was a gold digger?"

William seemed to realize Ana was offended by what he'd said, so he quickly tried to backtrack: "Well, I mean, I don't know if she was _actually _a gold digger. I've never met her, but Christian seemed convinced enough that she didn't have Elliot's best interests at heart. And Elliot eventually listened to him, though he's clearly not very happy about it."

"Christian?" Ana couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah, it was Christian who had to convince him to leave her," William said. "He told me so himself."

Ana fought to keep her expression normal, but inside her head was spinning and her heart was pounding a frenzied rhythm. She couldn't believe it… _Christian _had broken up Kate and Elliot!? And he had done it deliberately! How could he have done that? He'd met Kate, how on earth could he think she was a gold digger?

She then thought of Jack and what Christian had done to him, and Ana's anger seemed to grow exponentially as she realized the truth. Christian Grey was nothing more than a hateful son-of-a-bitch who enjoyed destroying other people's lives for no reason other than to make him feel better about himself.

"Hey, are you alright?" William asked, clearly noticing Ana's pale expression.

"Um… yeah. Yeah I'm fine," Ana said, quickly clearing her throat. "I just remembered I have to speak to Charlie about something. Excuse me."

She got to her feet and walked toward the dance floor to where she knew Charlie and Jose were, but a moment later, she almost collided with the two of them as they were making their way back to the table.

"Hey Ana," Charlie smiled, but her smile faded as she looked at her friend's face. "What's wrong?"

"I'm getting a migraine," Ana lied. "Is it alright if I head back to your place right now? The crowds and music here are kind of making it worse."

"Of course," Charlie said quickly. "Jose and I were getting tired anyway. We'll head back with you."

Ana agreed, and the three of them went back to the table to grab their things and say goodbye to William, who looked surprised and disappointed to see them go. Ana hardly cared though… all she cared about at the moment was getting the hell out of here as quickly as possible before she broke down.

They walked out the front doors and headed for Charlie's car, and Ana was thankful she didn't see Christian anywhere as they left.

* * *

**A/N: An unexpected turn of events… but for all you P&P fans out there, you can probably guess what's coming up next!**

**If you liked this chapter, please review :) And be sure to friend me on Facebook - I go by the username Straw Paj.**


	11. How ardently I admire and love you

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: How ardently I admire and love you**

Ana couldn't stop thinking about what William had told her tonight… about how Christian had purposefully broken up Kate and Elliot by lying and saying that Kate was a gold digger. She could hardly believe it, and yet it must be true. Ana lay awake for hours that night, long after the others had fallen asleep, thinking about what she had heard.

Kate slept soundly beside her on the air mattress. Poor Kate… she'd been so heartbroken for weeks since Elliot had left her for apparently no reason. Now Ana knew the reason, and she wasn't sure if she could even tell Kate. She had promised she wouldn't get more involved in the whole Elliot situation, no matter how badly she wanted to help her sister. And telling Kate the truth may not change anything anyway… Elliot was clearly easily convinced by Christian to leave Kate in the first place, so who's to say he wouldn't do it again?

_This is all so fucked up_.

Ana sighed as she rolled over, eventually dozing off into a fitful sleep. The distressing thoughts still swirled around her head and followed her into her dreams.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay here by yourself Ana?" Charlie asked.

It was the next morning, and Charlie wanted to bring Ana, Kate, and Jose sightseeing around the city outside of campus. They were planning on hitting Pike Place Market early this morning before it got too busy, but Ana had woken up with a pounding headache due to her being up late last night thinking about what William had said, and she wanted to sleep it off a bit longer.

"I'll be fine Charlie, I promise," Ana assured her. She was still wearing her pajamas as she sat cross-legged on the couch, a blanket covering her lap. "I think I just need a little peace and quiet, that's all."

"I hope you're not coming down with something," Charlie said worriedly. "You had a headache last night too…"

"Migraines for me tend to last a day or two," Ana explained. "I get them from time to time, it's no big deal. I'm sure in a few hours I'll be feeling good as new."

"I hope so," Charlie said compassionately. "I have some ibuprofen in the bathroom cabinet and some ice packs in the freezer if you need them. Kate, Jose, and I will be back around noon to bring you some lunch."

"We'll get Chick-fil-a. Your favorite," Kate smiled, moving to sit on the couch beside Ana and wrapping her arms around her. "Sound good?"

Ana smiled, feeling her heart ache with all the things she now knew about Elliot and why he left her sister. "Yeah, it does. Thanks Kate."

They hugged once more before Kate got up and left with Charlie, leaving Ana alone in the apartment.

Ana picked up the remote and turned on the TV, turning down the volume so it was almost mute. She then lay down on her side so her head was resting on the couch arm, and she closed her eyes, trying to ignore the pounding sensation in her head. She knew she should go take some ibuprofen, but she didn't want to move just yet; she pulled the blanket up to her neck and let out a sigh, eventually dozing off into a peaceful sleep.

Ana woke up about an hour later, feeling more well-rested, although her head still ached a little. She got up from the couch, yawning as she went to grab her cell phone from the charger on the kitchen counter. She saw that she had one missed call from a number she didn't recognize - she figured it was just a robocall since they didn't leave a message, so she decided to ignore it.

Ana showered and changed into a pair of skinny jeans, a tank top, and a flannel shirt, tying her hair back into a messy bun. She looked in the bathroom cabinet for the ibuprofen Charlie mentioned, but the bottle she found only had one pill left inside. She was a bit disappointed, but remembered she was in the middle of Seattle, and could go and walk somewhere to get some over-the-counter painkillers. Some fresh air and sunshine might do her some good too.

Settled, Ana Googled the distance to the nearest pharmacy, and saw that there was a Walgreens only a few blocks away. She gathered up her things before heading out the door, remembering to take the spare set of keys Charlie had lent her for the apartment before locking up.

Ana walked out of the front door and headed toward the sidewalk parallel to the street. This apartment complex was in a fairly residential area, and she saw only one other car parked on the side of the road. She didn't pay any attention to it… that is, until she saw someone step out of it from the corner of her eye.

"Ana!"

Ana turned at the sound of her name being called, and froze when she saw who it was. Christian had stepped out of the sleek black Audi and began walking toward her.

Ana felt her heart rate shoot up and her blood pressure rise upon seeing him. Of all the people in the world she could have run into today, he was the absolute last person she wanted to see. She fought to keep her expression blank.

"Christian," Ana greeted him, her voice cold.

"Hey," he said, stopping in front of her. "Sorry, I didn't know if you'd be here. I got your phone number from Elliot… I actually tried calling you earlier this morning, but you didn't pick up."

That must have been the missed call. Ana had no idea why the hell Christian was calling her on the phone, but she really didn't care to find out. "Sorry I missed your call, but now's not a good time," she said curtly, turning to walk away.

"Hold on," Christian said quickly. "I need to talk to you about something, and it really can't wait."

Ana clenched her jaw as she continued to walk down the street, not looking back. "I'm sorry Christian, but I really do have to go."

"Please Ana. It'll only take a moment."

Ana finally stopped walking and turned around to face him, figuring it would just be faster for him to say what he needed to say so she could leave. "Fine, what is it?"

Christian stopped about five feet in front of her, gazing at her. He hesitated a moment or two before bringing one hand up to run through his copper hair, and Ana thought he looked almost nervous about something.

"Um… Charlie mentioned last night that you and Kate are heading back to Portland early tomorrow morning," he said, a clear hesitation in his voice. "I was just wondering if… if maybe you wanted to have dinner with me tonight before you leave?"

_What?_

Ana could only stare at him, her brain barely registering what he had just said. Holy shit, did Christian really just ask her out on a date? This hardly felt real, but the way he was currently gazing at her expectantly forced her to contend with the reality of the situation. "Are you serious?" she sputtered out after a moment, staring at him in utter disbelief.

Christian must have misinterpreted her shock for flattery, for he smiled at her. "I know," he said, giving an incredulous chuckle as he shook his head. "It's ridiculous. It goes against everything I thought I knew about myself, but despite everything I find that I can't stop thinking about you. I really do like you Ana, and I want to take you out on a date tonight."

A strange confluence of emotions raged inside of Ana's heart - she was surprised, but also pissed off. He said he liked her, but he also said it was 'ridiculous' that he liked her 'despite everything'? What the hell did he mean by that? It didn't matter anyway, though, since she already had an answer for him…

"No," she said.

Christian blinked, and his smile faded into a confused expression. "What?"

"No, I don't want to go on a date with you," Ana stated, her voice unrelentingly cordial. "I've never wanted to go on a date with you, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't ask me again. Have a good day."

With that, she turned around and continued to walk down the sidewalk, trying her best to ignore Christian who she knew was watching her. That was a rude brushoff, Ana knew, but she hardly cared at the moment.

"Ana, wait!"

She heard Christian run after her, passing her up so he was in front of her, and Ana stopped in her tracks. "So that's it? You're just saying _no_?" he asked, clearly trying to mask his annoyance as he frowned at her. "Not that it matters, but you can't even give me a good reason as to why you're rejecting me? Or even give me the courtesy of saying '_I think you're nice, but_…'?"

Ana bristled, and she glared at him. "No, you don't get that courtesy, because I don't think you're nice. I think you're the prick who broke up Elliot and my sister."

Christian's angry retort seemed to die in his throat as he realized what she knew, and his frown melted into a stoic, unreadable expression. He clearly knew exactly what she was referring to, and that only served to piss Ana off even more.

"You're not even going to try to deny it?" she asked, her question sounding more like a statement. Christian remained silent, and Ana let out a humorless laugh.

"Seriously," she said. "Why in God's name would I want to go on a date with a guy who had deliberately separated two people who were clearly falling in love with each other - your best friend and my own sister - by lying and claiming that she was nothing more than a gold digger?"

"I didn't say that she was a gold digger," Christian said immediately.

That wasn't a flat-out denial, and it only further validated Ana's anger. "Oh really?" she asked spitefully. "Then tell me, what exactly did you say to Elliot to manipulate him into leaving my sister?"

"I told him the truth: that I felt that Kate didn't have his best interests at heart," Christian said, unapologetic. "Elliot's been hurt by social-climbing opportunistic women before, so he doesn't trust his own judgement when it comes to relationships. He asked me what I honestly thought of Kate, and so I told him."

"And you honestly think Kate's just a social-climbing opportunist?" Ana asked angrily.

"Not necessarily, but I do think she never reciprocated Elliot's feelings for her," he argued. "It was obvious every time I saw them together that he liked her more than she liked him."

Ana blinked in utter shock. "Are you kidding me? Are we even talking about the same people? Kate was crazy about Elliot, and she's been heartbroken ever since _you _separated them!"

"I was doing what I felt was best for my friend, and I would do it again," Christian stated firmly.

"Oh, you would?" Ana asked spitefully. "And then you would go and ask the sister of the girl whose life you ruined out on a date? Why the hell would you think you could do something like that?"

Christian's jaw clenched as he glared at her. "Trust me, I'm asking myself the same question," he said coldly.

Ana looked down and shook her head, letting out a humorless laugh before looking back up at him. "You know what? It doesn't matter anyway, because I already know what kind of person you are. I know what you did to Jack."

Christian's eyes flashed with anger at the mention of his name. "Jack?"

"He told me everything," Ana stated. "About how you ruined his life for no reason."

"I ruined his life?" Christian repeated, the sarcasm in his voice apparent. "Oh yes, let's all shed a tear for poor Jack Hyde! You're pretty interested in him, aren't you?"

"Of course I'm interested in him! You ruined his life by taking away the tuition money your late father had left for him!" Ana argued. "Jack's now taking out loans to go to an out-of-the-way school he can barely afford, and all because _you _wanted to be petty!"

Christian stared at her, his shock momentarily stalling him. "Do you really think that?" he asked. "That I'm capable of doing something like that to another person?"

"I can easily believe it," Ana snapped without hesitation. "Every time I see you, it only reaffirms how much of an asshole I think you are. You barely say anything to me in public, you act like you'd rather get a tooth pulled than interact with anyone… hell, the first time I even met you, you barely spoke three sentences to me before telling Elliot that I wasn't your type! Even just now, you told me that you thought it was '_ridiculous_' that you liked me '_despite everything_', so how the hell am I supposed to take that?"

"That was badly phrased," Christian said quickly.

"Then how did you mean to phrase it?" Ana countered.

"I'm not blind to who I am, okay?" Christian said, clearly frustrated. "I know how much my company is worth, where I stand in society, and what my name means to people. Certain things are expected of me, including the people I associate myself with, so you can forgive me if I wasn't falling over myself in excitement at the prospect of asking out some undergrad from Portland!" He paused for a second, taking a few deep breaths, and when he continued his voice was quieter: "But despite all of that, yes I did want to go out with you. And I'm not going to apologize for how I feel about you."

Ana knew under different circumstances she would have felt flattered by what he said, but all she could feel at the moment was immense rage at the sheer arrogance of this man. She glared at him. "Well, you can take comfort with the knowledge that you'll never know what it's like to date '_some undergrad from Portland_', because I would never go out with you in a million years," she said coldly. "You are the absolute last man in the world I would ever go on a date with. As far as I'm concerned, you can continue being the same rude, arrogant asshole who only cares about your place in society, because I sure as hell want nothing to do with you - not now, and not ever."

Christian blinked, taken aback by her vitriol. "I get it," he said, his jaw clenched with suppressed anger. "I think you've made yourself perfectly clear. I'm sorry to have wasted your time, and I hope you have a safe trip back to Portland."

With that, he turned and walked back toward his car. Heart pounding, Ana turned around and continued down the sidewalk in the opposite direction, trying to hold back the angry tears that she felt sure were about to come.

* * *

**A/N: Oh boy, that was a doozy… **

**Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ana deals with the aftermath of her confrontation with Christian.**

**If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	12. This, madam, is a faithful narrative

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: This, madam, is a faithful narrative**

"Are you sure you're feeling okay Ana? You look kind of off."

It was now evening, and Charlie, Kate, and Ana were having dinner and drinks at a local bar right outside of campus. The place was packed with college students tonight since a ComedySportz troupe was performing onstage, and the whole establishment was roaring with laughter. Ana, however, wasn't laughing as much as everyone else, which Charlie couldn't help but notice.

"I'm fine Charlie," Ana smiled at her friend. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

She hadn't told her or Kate what had happened earlier that day, when Christian had approached her outside Charlie's apartment building to confess his feelings for her. A part of her was still in shock that that happened at all, and she was still trying to wrap her head around it.

Ana had always assumed Christian disliked her as much as she disliked him, but as it turned out, he had actually developed feelings for her. Not only that, but he liked her enough to go against his better judgement and ask her out on a date! Ana remembered one of the first times she had ever spoken to Christian, he had stated he would never ask out a girl unless he really liked her, and Ana realized his feelings for her must have been genuine.

_Not that it matters anymore, though_.

Ana had absolutely no intention of going out with that asshole, especially after what he did to Kate. Anger consumed her at the very thought… if Christian wasn't such an arrogant jackass, this whole situation would have played out a lot differently. She almost felt bad for how mean she was to him, but ultimately she didn't regret telling him what she really thought. There was nothing else for him to do but think about what she had said.

However, for the rest of the day, Ana's confrontation with Christian was what consumed her own thoughts, making her quiet and distracted. Kate and Charlie hardly failed to notice something was wrong with Ana, and they couldn't help but look at her with concern.

"If you want to head back to the apartment soon, just let us know okay?" Kate said to Ana, gazing at her worriedly. "You still look pretty pale. If you want to call it an early night tonight, that's totally fine."

"Guys, I promise I'm fine," Ana smiled at them reassuringly, getting up from her chair. "I'm just going to run to the bathroom for a minute, I'll be right back."

She began to make her way through the crowd of people toward the restrooms. Everyone was still laughing uproariously at the improv show happening onstage, and she had to squeeze past a couple rowdy groups of people before making it to the hallway leading to the restrooms.

The ladies' room was just a single bathroom that was thankfully unoccupied. Ana locked the door before walking over to the sink and gazing at herself in the mirror… she did look rather pale tonight, and she felt hot and sweaty from being in that crowded bar. She took a paper towel and wet it with cold water before dabbing her neck and chin, relishing in the coolness.

_I really need to pull myself together,_ she thought to herself, crumpling up the paper towel and throwing it away. There was no use worrying about what happened with Christian earlier today - she should focus on having a fun night out with her best friend and sister, and not think about things that would only make her upset.

Ana suddenly felt her phone buzz with an incoming text, and she pulled it out of her pocket to check the screen. It was from an unknown number - the same one that had called her earlier that day.

Dreading what she was about to read, Ana reluctantly opened the text:

_I'm sorry for bothering you, but I just sent you an email which I hope you'll take the time to read. Have a good trip back to Portland._

Ana stared down at the text, her heart pounding. He sent her an email? How on earth did he know her email address? She was both angry and surprised he was contacting her after what happened today, and a small part of her wanted to go into her email inbox and delete the one sent from him without looking at it. However, another more curious part of her wanted to see what he had to say.

_Why did he have to contact me the moment I decided not to think about him anymore?_

Someone knocked on the bathroom door, and Ana quickly put her phone back into her pocket. She remembered she was supposed to be enjoying an evening out with her friend and sister, and she didn't want to be distracted by Christian anymore. She vowed to herself she wouldn't look at or think about the email he sent until after Kate and Charlie went to bed tonight.

Taking a deep breath and trying to look more composed than she felt, Ana unlocked the bathroom door and stepped back into the bar, walking over to her table.

* * *

A few hours later, Ana, Kate, and Charlie headed back to the apartment. It was now one o'clock in the morning, and Ana and Kate had a bus to catch in a few hours to take them back home to Portland. The girls all got ready for bed, and Ana and Kate both climbed under the covers of the full-size air mattress they'd been sharing for the past two nights.

"I like this," Kate smiled as she and Ana laid down on the mattress, facing each other so they could talk. "It reminds me of when you, me, and Leila were all little. We would have sleepovers and make forts in each other's beds."

Ana giggled. "We used to be a lot smaller back then so we'd all fit on one bed. By the end of the night tonight, I think one of us is going to end up kicking the other off onto the floor."

"You're on, sis," Kate joked, pushing her leg with her foot. The two of them continued to playfully kick each other under the covers for a few seconds while giggling before finally settling down onto their pillows.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kate asked after a moment, tucking her hands underneath her pillow as she gazed at Ana in scrutiny. "I know that earlier you said you were fine, but I just want to be sure. You've been pretty quiet all night… is there anything you want to talk about?"

Ana stared at Kate, wondering for a split second if she knew what had happened earlier that day. She shook her head. "No, there's not. I guess I just have a lot on my mind, that's all… mostly school-related stuff."

Kate smiled understandingly. "Oh I see. Try not to think about that stuff until we get back to Portland tomorrow, okay? There's no use worrying about it now when there's nothing that can be done."

Ana smiled slightly. "I suppose you're right."

"I know I am," Kate said assuredly. "Try to get some sleep. We have to be up bright and early tomorrow to catch our bus."

"I know," Ana said, and she fought back a yawn. "G'night Kate."

"Goodnight Ana."

Kate rolled over so she was facing away from Ana, and Ana rolled over so she was facing the wall. There was an outlet only a few inches from where she lay, and her phone charger was plugged into her phone; Ana picked up her phone and tucked it against her chest, waiting and listening for when her sister finally fell asleep.

About ten minutes later, Ana heard Kate's breathing slow down and her quiet snores fill the silent room. Ana finally turned on her phone and clicked onto her email.

Sure enough, there was one unread email in her inbox sent from Christian Grey a couple hours ago with the subject line **RE: Ana**. With her heart pounding in her throat, Ana opened the email and began to read:

_Dear Ana,_

_I'm sorry to be contacting you after what happened earlier this morning, since I'm sure I'm the last person you want to be speaking to right now. But I assure you I'm not sending you this email to ask you out again. What I'm writing now is what I wanted to relate to you earlier today, but I was too angry and upset to speak to you in a calm and rational manner. For what I have to say, though, I hope you'll read on and make a fair and honest judgement about me after you've finished._

_First of all, you accused me of being a prick who deliberately and willfully broke up Elliot and Kate. There is truth in the fact that I separated them, but only because I felt that Elliot was falling in love faster than Kate was, and I was worried he would get his heart broken if he wasn't careful. Obviously you know your own sister better than I do, so if I misjudged things between them I apologize, but know that I only did what I did because I care about my friend. I'm sure if you felt Kate was falling for someone too quickly, you'd want to do what you felt was right too._

_There's also something I need to confess to you. Yesterday at around noon, you sent Elliot a message over Facebook to tell him you and Kate were in town, but the truth is he never saw that message. He and I were out for lunch with a few of our work colleagues at the time, and he had left his phone at the table to go to the bathroom. His screen lit up, and I saw your name, and I was curious enough to pick up his phone and read what you'd sent him (he and I often use each other's phones, so I didn't think it was a big deal). You told him where you and Kate were going that night, and because I was worried Elliot would go running back to your sister if he knew you were here, I immediately deleted your message. Elliot still has no idea you and Kate were in town all weekend. I'm not proud of hiding it from him, nor of my decision to 'accidentally' run into you guys at _The Hunsford _later that night, but what's done is done and there's nothing more to be said about it. _

_Finally, I want to tell you about Jack Hyde. I'm not aware of everything he's said about me to you, but I can share with you all of my past experiences with him, and you can decide for yourself what to believe. _

_Mr. Hyde and my father were business partners ever since Jack and I were young children. Our two families basically grew up together, up until Jack's father died of a heart attack when Jack was fifteen. Mrs. Hyde had decided to go live overseas with her sister after her husband died, leaving Jack in my parents' care, and my father did his best to raise Jack like he was his own son. However, I went to the same high school as Jack (though I was a few years' older than him), and he was well-known amongst the students as a con-artist who could trick and charm people into giving him things. Whether it be lunch money, test answers, or even girlfriends, he could get pretty much anything he wanted from people. My parents and sister were completely unaware of this side of him, and I didn't want to be the one to rat him out, so I said nothing._

_Soon after I graduated college, my father passed away, and I admit I struggled coping with his death for a long time. But with the strong support of my mother and sister I was able to pull through to take up the role of CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings. With everything that was going on, I had almost forgotten about Jack, so I was a bit surprised when he reached out to me. He had graduated high school the previous year and had taken some time off to travel the world a bit before coming back home to Seattle. He said he wanted to get some real-world work experience before he went off to college, and he asked me if he could work at GEH in some low-level internship position for a while before he applied to a university. Although I already didn't really trust him, I felt that my father would have wanted what was best for Jack, so I reluctantly agreed to give him a job._

_For legal reasons, I can't give you all the details of what happened afterwards, but a few months after Jack had started working at GEH, one of my CPAs noticed some money was being moved around without authorization. It was soon discovered that Jack had romanced a young woman in Accounting, and together the two of them had developed a Ponzi scheme through my company to defraud investors and make a quick buck. Thankfully, their plan was discovered before any investments were made, and my company was in the clear. There wasn't enough evidence to convict them, but they were both fired immediately, and in my anger I refused to give Jack a penny of the money my dad had left for his college education. He got angry and we argued about it, but I was firm, and he eventually left while promising to never darken my doorstep again. I hadn't heard a peep from him since that time… that is, until about six months ago._

_This next part is difficult for me to talk about, but I want you to know the whole truth, and my cousin William can attest to what I'm saying since he was with me when this all went down. My sister Mia, after she finished high school a year ago, had gone off to San Francisco for culinary school to pursue her dream of becoming a world-class chef. What I didn't realize, though, was that Jack had followed her to California to confess his love for her. Mia was only eighteen at the time, and since Jack had always been so sweet to her as a child, she easily fell for his charms. At the time I hadn't told her what Jack had done to me or to GEH, so she was unaware of his true character. She and him stayed together in her apartment for months before I was made aware of it._

_Mia and I often talked on the phone, and for the entire duration of her time in San Francisco she was careful to never mention Jack to me or have him around when I came to visit her. It was only after I suggested she get a personal security officer to keep an eye on her (I often times have one with me here in Seattle), she immediately became panic-stricken. I asked her what the matter was, and she finally admitted the truth… that she and Jack had been dating in secret for months, and Jack insisted Mia not inform me. She claimed that they were very serious about each other, so serious in fact that Jack had even brought up marriage to her on several occasions. That's when I became livid: I knew Jack's true character, and that he was primarily driven by money, so there was no doubt in my mind he had found out that our father had left Mia an inheritance of 3.2 million dollars which was hers once she turned twenty-one._

_I immediately called Jack to tell him that if he married my sister, neither of them would see a penny of that inheritance. Since I had withheld money from him before, he knew that I was being serious, and the very next day he broke up with my sister and left San Francisco. Mia was heartbroken and angry at me for a long time afterwards, even after I explained to her what Jack had almost done to GEH. It's been months since all this happened, and my sister has finally started to come to terms with how Jack had been a manipulative bastard who toyed with her heart. It's been a long and difficult process for her to get over him, and I have to say it's been painful to see my sister going through such an experience - one that could easily have been avoided if I had kept a closer eye on Jack._

_Since that incident, I've used my resources through GEH to track Jack's movements. After San Francisco, he came straight to Portland to crash with some of his old high school buddies who currently attend WSU. As far as I can tell, he's not attending any classes, and his financial records don't indicate he's taken out student loans, so I doubt he's enrolled as a student. If he's told you otherwise, then it's likely he's pretending to be a student to hide the fact he's illegally squatting in the Delta Chi frat house._

_That's pretty much all of my experiences with Jack Hyde. If you've read my email up until this point, just know that I'm sorry if our conversation today ruined your trip to Seattle. I truly hope you and your sister have a safe trip back home, and the best of luck with you and your upcoming graduation._

_Sincerely,_

_Christian Grey_

* * *

**A/N: And the plot thickens… **

**Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Next, Ana and Kate head back to Portland together, and Ana thinks about Christian's email.**


	13. A proud, unpleasant sort of man

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 13: A proud, unpleasant sort of man**

Ana really wished she hadn't read that email… or rather, she wished she hadn't read it so late at night when she needed to be up early in the morning to catch the bus back to Portland. Instead of dozing off to sleep as she knew she ought to do, she instead lay wide awake, staring up at the dark ceiling with Kate sleeping soundly beside her. Christian's email was at the forefront of her mind, consuming her thoughts and making her restless.

So many thoughts and emotions racketed around inside her head, she had no idea how to feel or what to think. When she first started reading his email, right away she got angry and dismissive of every excuse he gave about breaking up Elliot and Kate, especially when she reached the part about him reading the Facebook message Ana sent to Elliot without telling him. Not only did he secretly go into Elliot's phone and read his private message, but he deleted it so Elliot wouldn't find out! If that didn't make Christian a dishonest piece of shit, she didn't know what did…

But then she read the part about Jack. What Jack had told her about his past and what Christian now told her in his email were so wildly different, one of them had to have been lying. Christian apparently did withhold the tuition money from Jack, but according to his interpretation of events, Jack absolutely deserved it… and Ana may have had to agree.

_God, I don't know what to believe anymore._

Was Jack really the manipulative liar Christian claimed him to be? Or was that just a convenient excuse for him doing what he did to Jack? The part about his sister Mia gave Ana pause - Christian sharing such personal details about his little sister whom he obviously cared about definitely didn't seem like something he would make up just for the sake of a lie. Plus, he mentioned that his cousin William knew about this when it all happened… Ana was tempted to track him down on Facebook and ask him to corroborate Christian's story, but immediately decided against it. It would be extremely awkward talking to him about such a personal matter, especially if she had to talk about _why_ she knew about it in the first place.

It really sounded like Christian was telling the truth about Jack. Could it be that Christian wasn't as arrogant and evil as she initially thought he was? Perhaps, although he still deliberately broke up Elliot and Kate…

Closing her eyes in frustration, Ana turned over on her side to face the wall. She needed to stop thinking about this so she could get some sleep and be able to wake up in the morning at a reasonable hour. Perhaps after some sleep, she would be able to think about this with a clearer head.

With her thoughts still a jumbled and confused mess, Ana soon fell into a restless and fitful sleep.

* * *

"Christian asked you out?!"

It was the next morning, and Ana and Kate we're currently on the bus heading toward Portland. Kate could hardly fail to notice something was still off about her sister, and Ana was too exhausted and agitated to withhold the information any longer.

"Shhh," Ana shushed her, glancing around the relatively empty bus to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "Yes he did. It happened yesterday morning when you, Charlie, and Jose were at Pike Place Market."

"Oh my God," Kate said, still staring at Ana in utter disbelief. "No wonder you've been acting so weird all weekend! Are you alright? What did you say to him?"

Ana glanced down at her lap, feeling her heart sink down to her stomach. "I said no, obviously. I'm still trying to process it all though."

"I understand. I didn't really expect you to say yes," Kate said, a hint of compassion in her voice. "You've been pretty clear about how you feel about the guy. But I'm just really surprised… I had no idea he felt that way about you."

"Believe me, neither did I," Ana said honestly. "I think Charlie may have had some idea, although she was a bit cagey about it."

"Wow," Kate said, still in a tone of shock, and she shook her head. "Well, at least it's all out in the open now, right?"

Ana didn't answer as she bit her lip, gazing down at her lap. She didn't know how to tell her sister about what happened after her conversation with Christian, or whether or not she should reveal everything that he had mentioned in his email.

"Ana?" Kate asked, noticing her sister's silence. "What's wrong?"

Ana glanced back up at her after a moment. "After Christian asked me out and I said no, he and I got into a bit of an argument. Things got a bit heated between us, and then Jack's name came up…"

Ana went on to explain what she accused Christian of doing to Jack, then of Christian's email he sent to her the following day, revealing his version of events regarding his past dealings with Jack. Kate listened with rapt attention, frowning as she took in everything Ana was saying; she brought her hand to her mouth in horror as Ana explained the part about his sister Mia.

"Oh my God, that poor girl," Kate whispered, bringing her hand down. "And she was only eighteen at the time? I don't know how anyone could do something so horrible to someone so young!"

"So you believe him?" Ana asked, almost nervously. "You think Christian's telling the truth?"

"I mean, it makes sense," Kate said. "If Jack had felt cheated out of the money Christian's dad left for him, then he would have motivation to lie and smear Christian's name. Also, you told me yourself that Jack had lived in California briefly before moving up to Portland."

"Yeah he did," Ana said quietly, suddenly remembering the first night she met Jack and him mentioning all the places he lived. "I'd forgotten about that."

"It's hard to know what to believe," Kate sighed. "I hope this is all just a big mistake or something. From what you've told me, Jack always seemed like such a nice person. I can't believe he could do something like this."

"Neither can I," Ana frowned, turning to gaze out the window. "It feels like I…" she shook her head. "I don't know."

Kate gazed at her in concern. "What is it?"

Ana turned to look at her sister, a noticeable sadness in her eyes. "For so long I had been so convinced Christian was this awful, arrogant bastard who didn't care for anyone but himself, and when I heard Jack's story about him, I immediately believed it. It didn't even occur to me that there could have been two sides to the story, or that I could have really hurt someone who may not have done anything wrong. I said some really horrible things to Christian's face… things that I don't think I could ever take back."

"Ana," Kate said compassionately, seeing her sister's distress. "You couldn't have known. It's not your fault."

"Isn't it though?" Ana asked. "I completely let my feelings overtake my rational mind. That email Christian sent me completely screwed up my worldview… it's like, up until this moment, I never even knew myself."

Frowning with concern, Kate silently wrapped her arm around Ana's shoulders and pulled her to her side. Ana rested her head on Kate's shoulder, grateful for the loving embrace of her older sister as their bus took them back home to Portland.

* * *

Ana hadn't realized how much she had missed being home, but that was likely due to all the emotionally-exhausting events that had occurred over her weekend in Seattle. Though Ana had promised herself she wouldn't read Christian's email again, she found herself constantly going back to her desktop computer to do just that. She read over each paragraph several times, even going so far as to commit several phrases to memory. Her feelings varied wildly each time she read it… a part of her still wanted to dislike Christian and be distrustful of everything he was saying, but another part of her knew that that wasn't the best way to get to the bottom of all this.

It was tough to admit to herself, but it wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility that she was wrong about Christian. Maybe he wasn't the rude, arrogant asshole she thought he was, who's only motivation in life was to hurt other people.

She'd assumed he hated her, but the truth ended up being the complete opposite… he actually had developed feelings for her. Feelings that compelled him to ask her out on a date, despite trying to convince himself not to.

_It doesn't matter anyway. I doubt he feels the same way anymore after everything I said to his face… _

Ana's eyes trailed back over her computer screen, where Christian's email sat, and a part of her wondered if he would have bothered sending her this email if he didn't care about her anymore.

Ana suddenly heard shouting voices sound from downstairs, and she frowned before getting up from her desk and walking toward her bedroom door. She opened it, and the voices of her parents and Leila carried from downstairs:

"…Don't you walk away from us, young lady!" Carla shouted.

"I'm almost seventeen! I can make my own decisions!" Leila yelled angrily.

"If you live under our roof, you'll follow our rules!" Ray yelled back. "You're getting that thing removed first thing tomorrow, Leila!"

"God, I _hate _you guys!" Leila stomped her way up the stairs. She reached the top and turned left before stopping, noticing Ana standing in the doorway of her bedroom while leaning against the door jamb.

"Everything alright?" Ana asked, raising an eyebrow. "Mom and Dad don't sound too happy."

"I don't care," Leila grumbled making her way over to her own room next door to Ana's. "They can't make me get rid of it."

"Get rid of what?"

Leila glanced over at the staircase to make sure Ray and Carla were still downstairs before lifting the hem of her shirt slightly to reveal her belly button. A sparkly pink crystal piercing glimmered against her flat stomach.

"Wow," Ana said, leaning forward to examine the piercing closer. "That's pretty."

"Thanks. Mariah and I got them together," Leila said, dropping her shirt. "It was totally fine with her parents, so I figured it would be fine with Mom and Dad."

"You should have asked them first, Ladybug," Ana said with a chastising look. "It was wrong of you to go and get your belly button pierced without them knowing about it."

"Oh whatever," Leila rolled her eyes in that snobby teenage way. "It's not like it affects their lives in any way. And maybe you would understand if you weren't such a goody two shoes all the time."

"Leila," Ana frowned at her sister admonishingly, but Leila ignored her as she stomped her way into her bedroom, snatching up her headphones from her desk and putting them on. She sat down onto her bed and began thumbing through her iPod, ignoring her sister watching her through the door.

Sighing and shaking her head, Ana turned and walked back into her bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. Poor Leila… Ana remembered her own angsty teenager phase, and felt sorry that her sister was feeling so angry all the time. She hoped their parents could at least try to set some ground rules to help her get on the right path.

Ana walked back over to her desk, and saw that her phone had an unread text message. She unlocked the screen, and froze when she saw who had messaged her.

_**Jack**__: Hey you ;) How's it going?_

Ana hadn't heard from Jack all weekend, and with everything that had happened with Christian, she was too preoccupied to notice. She really had no desire to talk to Jack at the moment, and a large part of her just wanted to ignore his text and get on with her day.

However, the last part of Christian's email suddenly came back to her, and she realized she had an opportunity to find out the truth. If he really was as conniving and manipulative as she now suspected, she would be able to get to the bottom of this.

Thinking about what she was going to write, after a moment Ana typed out:

_**Ana: **__Hey! Im doing well, Kate and I just got back from Seattle yesterday_

_**Jack:** Nice. How'd u like it up there? See anything cool? Meet anyone interesting?_

**_Ana:_**_ We actually hung out with Christian and his cousin William while we were there. Do you know William?_

**_Jack:_**_ Yeah I do. He's a lot nicer than his cousin, tho most people are lol _

**_Ana:_**_ I actually don't think Christian's that bad. Or at least not as snobby as I first thought he was._

_**Jack: **__Really? Well, I and my lost tuition money would have to disagree, but whatever. Anyway my buds and I are heading to that bar near the docks tonight. Wanna come? ;)_

_**Ana: **__As much as I'd love to, I actually have a paper due tomorrow that I need to finish_

_**Jack: **__Aw lame :(_

_**Ana: **__I know. Maybe you could join me tonight? Bring your laptop and you can work on your own homework_

There was a short pause where Jack didn't respond. About thirty seconds later he texted back:

_**Jack: **__I would, but I already committed to going out with Denny and the guys tonight :( Rain check?_

_**Ana: **__Sure, no problem_

_**Jack: **__Sweet :) Tho I bet you as a nerdy English major would prefer to work on your papers in solitude lol._

_**Ana: **__Solitude is nice when doing any sort of writing, English major or not. What are you majoring in again?_

_**Jack: **__Political Science_

_**Ana: **__Really? I thought you once told me it was Business_

There was another thirty second pause on his end:

_**Jack: **__Yeah. It's both actually. Im double majoring in Business and Political Science :) _

Ana narrowed her eyes at his last text. In truth, he had never told her what he was majoring in - she made up the part about him telling her he was a Business major. The Political Science degree sounded like his cover for when someone asked him what he was majoring in, but now he was wondering if he'd told her the wrong thing.

_Losing track of all your lies, Jack?_

He and Ana exchanged a couple more texts before eventually saying goodbye. Ana could tell Jack seemed a lot less eager to talk to her after she brought up school, and it was clear that he was pretty much bailing on their conversation. Ana didn't mind since it had become clear to her Christian's account of Jack was far more accurate than she initially realized.

There was something inherently untrustworthy of the way Jack conducted himself, which Ana had sort of picked up on when they first met at Dave & Busters, but she ignored her instincts because he was cute and charming. She wasn't about to make the same mistake with him again, though.

This might mark the end of her and Jack, but Ana was more than okay with that.

_Good riddance to bad rubbish._

* * *

**A/N: Hm, looks like Christian may have been telling the truth after all… **

**Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, we jump forward a few weeks, where Ana continues her online classes and begins her post-graduation job search.**


	14. A certain something in her air

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 14: A certain something in her air**

**~3 weeks later~**

October slowly turned into November, and the days got shorter and colder as winter quickly approached. Ana got through her midterms, her last ones of her college career, and her final semester was soon coming to an end with only a month and a half to go. Graduation was looming, and Ana had already begun the process of ordering her cap and gown for the ceremony, making the end of her college journey feel more real than ever.

Ana was almost glad for the distraction of school and her graduation because everything else going on in her life made her feel utterly lost. She hadn't spoken to Christian at all since she came back from Seattle, not that she would've known what to say to him if she did get in touch with him. He hadn't reached out to her either since he sent that email - if Ana didn't have it on her computer as tangible proof, she almost would've wondered if that weekend ever really happened, or if him asking her out had been a figment of her imagination.

Ana's feelings toward Christian at the moment were still pretty confused. She now believed his version of events regarding Jack Hyde, and because of that she felt awful about the things she yelled to his face. She could also kind of see his point-of-view when he made the decision to separate Elliot and Kate, even though she didn't like it. Ana loved her sister dearly, but Kate rarely showed her emotions. She had acted very shy and reserved around Elliot, rarely allowing herself to show her true feelings toward him. Ana didn't notice at the time because she knew her sister so well, but she could honestly see how someone like Christian could have misinterpreted Kate's feelings for indifference.

However, Elliot still hadn't reached out to Kate, leaving Ana to conclude Christian hadn't told him about the events that transpired several weeks ago. Ana wasn't sure what to think about that, therefore her feelings toward Christian remained undecided.

"Ana?"

Kate now walked through Ana's bedroom door as Ana sat at her desk, working on her World Cultures paper. "Mom says dinner will be ready in five minutes."

"Okay, I'll be right down," Ana said, finishing up the sentence she was writing.

"How's your paper coming?" Kate asked, moving over to sit on the bed.

"It's coming," Ana grimaced, gazing at her screen. "Surprisingly, there aren't many sources about how the Irish Potato Famine of 1845 contributed to modern European literature."

Kate giggled. "I'm sure there's something out there. If not, just cite Bono as one of your sources. He's Irish, right?"

Ana laughed. "Oh yeah, I'm sure my professor would love me citing a U2 song as literature in my academic paper."

Kate smiled, but her smile faded as she turned to gaze at the doorway. Ana saw she was looking at Leila's closed bedroom door.

"Is she still grounded?" Ana asked, and Kate looked back at her.

"Yeah," she nodded sadly. "Mom and Dad are really mad about her sneaking out to that party the other night."

Ana shook her head, remembering the shouting match between their dad and Leila which had woken them up at two in the morning. "I feel like I don't even know that girl anymore. What's going on with her?"

"She's a teenager," Kate explained, grimacing. "Plus, she's always been the baby of the family. It kind of makes sense she's acting out like this."

"I don't know. I kind of feel like something else is going on with her," Ana shook her head, getting to her feet. "But maybe that's just me hoping she'll get over this whole bratty attitude."

"The most we can do is just be here for her whenever she needs us," Kate said, and the two of them made their way down the hallway toward the stairs. "But let's talk about something else… are you excited for graduation?"

"Excited and terrified," Ana smirked. "I feel like I'm both ready to finally be done with doing school and scared for what the future holds."

"You're graduating summa cum laude. I'm sure you'll snatch up a job in no time," Kate said assuredly.

"Yeah, but what if I hate the field that I'm in, or if I'm no good at it?" Ana said worriedly. "The future is unknown, which is what makes it so scary."

"Don't think like that," Kate said firmly. "Everyone gets a little shaky before starting a new job, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to find one. Have you applied anywhere yet?"

Ana hesitated; she had applied for a few internships already, and there was actually one place who had called her back earlier today. She was waiting for the right moment to tell her whole family the news.

"Ana?" Kate asked, noticing her hesitation. They were now in the dining room, where Carla and Ray were busy setting the table for dinner.

"Well… I was waiting for the right moment to tell you guys, but I suppose now's as good a time as any," Ana said nervously, glancing over at her parents. "A few days ago I applied for an associate editor internship at Seattle Independent Publishing, and they called me this morning to set up an interview. I'm meeting with the acquisitions editor Mr. Roach next Friday up in the city."

"Annie! That's amazing!" Ray beamed. Kate and Carla both moved forward to hug Ana. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Ana giggled, smiling as she hugged her sister and her mom back.

"See? I knew you could do it," Kate grinned widely.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so proud of you," Carla said, almost tearfully as she pulled away. "Oh! We should get you some new clothes so you'll look like a true working professional!"

"It's just an interview. It's not like I have the job yet," Ana said. "This may end up being nothing."

"Don't think like that," Ray chastised. "You'll do great at that interview, Annie. Just smile, be confident, and act like you know what the hell you're talking about."

Everyone laughed, and Ana couldn't help but grin. "Thanks Dad."

"Come on now, dinner's getting cold," Carla said, pulling out her chair, and the others followed suit. "Let's eat, and then we can talk more about Ana's future career in publishing."

The others chuckled, and Ana smiled, feeling both embarrassed and pleased by her family's excitement her.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by much faster than Ana expected. With all her homework, working extra hours at Clayton's, and getting ready for her first real-world interview, Ana hardly felt she had enough time to prepare. She had called up Charlie on Wednesday to let her know about her interview, and Charlie immediately got excited - she practically begged Ana to spend Friday night in Seattle with her so they could hang out, and Ana happily agreed. Even if her interview went completely south, Ana at least knew she had a fun night with her best friend to look forward to.

Ana and her mom went shopping on Thursday for a new interview outfit, and Ana picked out a white blouse with short sleeves, a professional-looking burgundy pencil skirt, and nude heels. Ana liked her new outfit since it went well with her coloring and made her feel pretty, which helped ease her nerves a bit as Friday morning approached.

Her interview was at 10:30 am today, so Ana made sure to leave before 7 in case she were to encounter traffic. She now drove along the freeway toward her destination, idly listening to a Billy Joel song on the radio, and she began to think about a person whom she hadn't had a lot of time to think about this whole week... Christian Grey.

With everything going on, she hadn't allowed herself to think about him too much, but now that she was heading toward the city - _his _city - her thoughts drifted to him. What were the odds of running into him while she was there? Probably slim to none, although he did seem to have an uncanny knack for turning up when she least expected him… although that was likely due to the fact he was trying to get to know her better so he could ask her out.

An unsolicited thought suddenly crossed Ana's mind. _If Christian were to ask me out again, would I say yes this time?_

She immediately shook her head, pushing away that idea. It would be ridiculous to think Christian still felt that way about her, especially after all the horrible things she said to his face. She wouldn't expect him to renew his addresses to her, so she ought to just push it out of her mind.

She continued to drive down the freeway toward her destination, forcing her concentration back onto her interview happening later that morning.

~/~

It was now hours later, and Ana sat in a chair within the lobby of Seattle Independent Publishing; she took a few deep breaths as she calmed her residual nerves, having finished the first part of her interview successfully.

_I did it._

She was now just sitting and waiting for Mr. Roach and Elizabeth from HR to return with a copy of a proficiency test, which would gauge her level of skills as an editor. This would be the easiest part since this was sort of like a take-home test where she would edit a bit of copy for them, and she was eager to get it done she she could show them she would be the right fit for this internship.

SIP was a very bright and open one-story building, with polished marble floors and large bay windows overlooking the city street. The receptionist sat at her desk across the lobby, her keyboard clacking away as she typed away at her computer. This whole place had intimidated Ana when she first arrived, although that was due to her nerves for the interview, but now that her interview was over with she could really appreciate how pleasant and bright everything here was.

_I could definitely get used to working here._

Ana now checked her watch, noticing that nearly ten minutes had passed. Just as she began wondering if Mr. Roach and Elizabeth had forgotten about her, both of them appeared in the doorway leading to the rest of the office.

"Anastasia… so sorry for the wait," Mr. Roach smiled as they approached her, and Ana got to her feet. "Our printer has been on the fritz lately, but we managed to get your test printed out for you."

"Thank you so much," Ana smiled, accepting the small packet of papers from him.

"Just finish up that test within the next week or so, and send it back to me or Mr. Roach," Elizabeth explained. "You can mail it, or if you prefer, you can scan each page and email it to us as an attachment."

"Will do," Ana nodded, smiling at them both. "Thank you so much for this opportunity."

"You're very welcome, Anastasia," Mr. Roach smiled, and he and Ana shook hands. "You'll be hearing back from us within the next two to three weeks."

"Have a safe trip back to Portland," Elizabeth smiled as she now shook Ana's hand.

"I will. Thank you," Ana smiled, and with one last goodbye, she turned and walked out the front door.

It was a beautiful sunny day out today, and Ana couldn't fight her smile as she walked over to her car, which was parked in the company parking lot. She felt that that interview had gone very well, and now all she had to do was take this editing test, which she knew she was going to ace. For the first time all week, she allowed herself to feel hopeful she could actually get this internship.

Once Ana got in the car and set her things down on the passenger seat, she checked her phone. She was still planning on staying overnight in the city with Charlie at her apartment, but it appeared Charlie was still in class:

_**Charlie:**_ _Hey girl! Sending u good vibes for ur interview today :) My last class today should be out by 1:30 so I'll meet u at my apartment around 2. Can't wait to see u!_

Ana checked the time, noticing that it was a little past 11:30, so she and Charlie couldn't meet for several hours at least. Ana wondered how on earth she was going to fill that time, and her first thought was she could go grab some lunch. She searched Google Maps for a nearby fast food place where she could eat something, and saw that three blocks away was a small deli that had good reviews. Ana decided that place was as good as any, but just as she settled on that, she noticed another pin placed right next door to the deli indicating another business.

_Grey Enterprise Holdings, LLC_

Ana blinked in surprise. That was Christian's company headquarters… she had known it was in the city, but she didn't realize it was so close to SIP. She was unsure about how she felt about that, but then realized it probably didn't even matter since it was unlikely she and Christian would actually run into each other.

Ana was suddenly very curious as to what Grey Enterprise Holdings looked like, and she couldn't help but smile slightly to herself as she considered the possibility of stopping by just to look. Since the deli was so close, she decided to just walk the three blocks there and maybe make a stop at Christian's building as she did so.

_Oh what the hell?_

Resolved, Ana gathered up her things, making sure to leave her work bag and her documents on the passenger seat before stepping out of her car. She began to walk down the sidewalk with all the other pedestrians, her high heels clicking on the concrete as she went. Seattle was a very vibrant and beautiful city, and Ana felt excited at the prospect of possibly moving here if she got this internship at SIP.

Ana finally reached the city street with the deli, and right next to it was a tall glass skyscraper that made her almost stop in her tracks. That must have been Grey Enterprise Holdings… she slowly walked toward it, moving up a few of the steps leading to the front doors, gazing up at the huge building in wonder. Dozens of business people were making their way to and from the building, pushing through a revolving glass door as they went; right above the doors was a large stainless steel sign reading GREY HOUSE in big letters.

This place was at least ten times the size of what Ana was expecting, and she could do little more than stare at the building in wonder and surprise. Through her dazed mind, she couldn't help but think about how strange it was that the owner of this gargantuan company had actually wanted to go on a date with her.

_Will wonders never cease?_

Just as she was thinking that, however, a voice from behind her spoke her name:

"Ana?"

Ana turned around and froze in place when she saw the man himself, Christian Grey, standing on the front steps of Grey House, staring at her in utter surprise.

* * *

**A/N: Yay for cliffhangers! :)**

**I hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Next up, Christian and Ana's unexpected reunion leads to their first conversation since the last time Ana was in Seattle.**

**Be sure to follow me on Facebook for updates! I go by the username Straw Paj**


	15. Before I knew I had begun

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Before I knew I had begun**

For a split second, Ana was frozen in place as she stared at Christian standing before her, feeling like she had been caught doing something illicit. After a moment, however, she felt her heartbeat begin to pound loudly in her chest and her face immediately turn bright red.

_Oh my God, is this really happening?_

"Christian," Ana squeaked out, clasping her hands in front of her. "Um… hi."

"Hi," Christian said, taking a step toward her. He didn't look nearly as embarrassed as Ana, though his surprise clearly mirrored her own. "…What are you doing here?"

"Oh, um… no reason," she stammered out, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear before gesturing toward the road. "I-I was just in the area. I had an interview a couple blocks away, at a publishing company. It's for a future internship."

"Oh," Christian said before smiling. "That's great. Did it go well?"

"Yeah I think so," Ana nodded, smiling slightly.

"That's wonderful. I hope you get it," Christian said.

He sounded sincere when he spoke, but Ana still couldn't decipher his true feelings from his expression. Had he forgiven her for what she accused him of the last time they had seen each other face-to-face? Or was he still angry and upset? Regardless, Ana was more than ready to leave his presence and get out of the awkward situation as soon as possible.

"So… how's your family?" Christian asked politely after a moment of silence.

"They're good," Ana nodded. "They're, um… they're still in Portland. I mean, they're not here with me now, obviously. I'm actually staying in Seattle tonight with Charlie. I should probably go and meet up with her soon…"

"Oh," Christian said, blinking. "Do you have to meet up with her right now?"

"Well… she's still in class at the moment," Ana explained, blushing. "I was going to meet up with her at her apartment in a couple hours…"

"Well, if you're free now, I'd be happy to show you around my company," Christian said quickly. "I mean, if you're interested."

"No," Ana said immediately. "I-I mean, no you don't have to do that just because I was standing here and looking at your building. It's a beautiful place, don't get me wrong, but I was just walking to that deli next door to go grab some lunch. That's all."

"You can have lunch with us," Christian offered without hesitation. "Elliot's coming by soon, and we were going to eat in the GEH cafeteria. You'd be welcome to join us."

Ana hesitated. She felt a bit better at the prospect of Elliot being there so she and Christian wouldn't be alone together for too long, but she was still too uncomfortable spending any sort of one-on-one time with him. "I don't know…" she said after a moment, frowning.

"Just one tour of my company," Christian said, still gazing at her expectantly. "If you're not seeing Charlie for the next few hours then you have plenty of time, right?"

"I suppose…" Ana said slowly, biting her lip. "I just don't want to take up too much of your time. I'm sure you're busy."

"No not at all," Christian assured her with a kind smile. "You've caught me on a good day, actually. Aside from a meeting this morning, I'm pretty much free all day. The only other thing I was going to do was have lunch with Elliot."

Ana blinked, and she couldn't help but smile slightly. "Taking a break from the whole 'hard-working CEO' thing?" she asked.

Christian smiled too, looking more relaxed than Ana had ever seen him before. "Gotta do it sometimes," he said, shrugging. "So what do you say?"

Ana could still feel her heart beating uncomfortably in her chest and her blush overtaking her face, but Christian seemed sincere when he said he wanted to show her around his building. She was afraid she might end up regretting this, but right now she couldn't bring herself to refuse.

"Okay," she finally agreed, smiling. Christian smiled widely back.

"Wonderful."

He began to walk toward the building, and Ana moved to walk alongside him. She was silent, acutely aware of what she had agreed to do and that Christian was now only a foot away from her as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

_Try to breathe, Steele_.

"I've mentioned it before, but this company was actually started by my father," Christian explained as they walked together up the steps. "He began GEH in a small office inside a business park near Montlake, but then he bought this building a few years later. After I took over as CEO, I contracted Elliot's company to redo a lot of the interior spaces so it had a more modern feel."

They reached the rotating glass door, and Ana went through first. She didn't know what to expect, but the moment she stepped inside the front lobby, she stopped in her tracks, gazing around her in shock. The place almost looked bigger on the inside, with the high vaulted ceilings going up nearly three stories, the massive floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the whole city of Seattle, and the shiny marble granite floors that clicked and clacked as dozens of well-dressed people walked across the area toward the elevators on the opposite walls.

"The atrium's redesign was probably the biggest investment we made," Christian spoke from beside Ana, and she finally tore her eyes away to look at him. He was gazing around at the huge lobby. "It was definitely worth it though, I think."

"Definitely," Ana agreed, turning her gaze back to the beautiful opulent atrium. "This place is amazing, Christian."

"Thank you," Christian said sincerely. "Can I get you a visitor's pass and then show you some of the upstairs offices?"

"Sure," Ana smiled, and she and Christian began to walk toward the security desk on the west side of the huge lobby. Ana couldn't help but notice a lot of the business people were staring at her and Christian as they walked together toward the desk, whispering amongst one another.

"Why is everyone looking at us?" Ana asked Christian quietly, gazing at the people around her.

"Probably because people don't usually see me walking through the main lobby in the middle of the day," Christian answered. "I tend to just stay in my office to do my work."

"Your ivory tower?" Ana asked, smirking up at him, and Christian chuckled. They reached the desk, and Ana noticed the two blonde women sitting there looked shocked to see their CEO standing before them.

"Mr. Grey," one of them said breathlessly, smiling brightly up at him. "Good morning, sir."

"Good morning, Linda," Christian greeted her kindly, and he gestured toward Ana. "Could you get Ms. Anastasia Steele here a security pass, please?"

"Of course, sir," Linda quickly began typing something on her computer. "What level security clearance would you like her to have?"

"Priority one."

Ana blinked, looking up at Christian in surprise. "You're giving me top security clearance? You really don't have to do that, Christian."

"You're here as my guest, Ana," Christian said to her firmly. "And I know you personally. All my friends and family get full clearance when they come to my office building."

Ana went silent, briefly shocked by the fact that he considered her a friend. Was he just being polite to her in front of his employee? She didn't know, and she didn't speak again until Linda finished printing her security pass and Christian handed it to her.

"Thank you," Ana smiled, accepting the small laminated card with a lanyard clipped to it. On it was her name printed in a bold font with a security code listed underneath it.

"Feel free to use that whenever you want," Christian smiled, and Ana looked up at him. He gestured toward the elevators. "Shall we?"

Ana smiled. "Sure," she said, and the two of them walked toward the other side of the lobby. "So where to first?" she asked, pulling the security pass over her head so she wore it around her neck.

"Well, I doubt you have enough time for the full tour," Christian said. They reached the elevators and he pressed the button to go up. "Not if you have to meet Charlie later. I thought I could show you some of our bigger departments, starting with Marketing on the fifth floor, the research department on the seventh, and then the executive offices at the top floor. How does that sound?"

"You're the boss," Ana said, biting back a smile. She saw Christian's lips twitch in an amused grin, and the fact that she could make him smile made her feel happy for some reason.

They got into the elevator with several other business people before the doors slid closed behind them. One of the men in the elevator with them greeted Christian in a friendly manner, and the two of them had a brief discussion about next quarter projections. Ana didn't understand much about what was being discussed, but it was clear Christian knew what he was talking about.

The elevator doors slid open, and Christian stepped out, gesturing for Ana to follow suit. She did, but almost stopped when she saw the floor they were on… she thought the atrium was the most beautiful area in the building, but these offices were a close second. The Marketing department was a wide, open-concept floor plan with white walls, dark mahogany molding, and huge floor-to-ceiling windows on the north side, allowing natural light to stream in. Ana saw dozens of people sitting at their desks and typing away on their computers, or walking around and talking to each other.

"Welcome to the Marketing department," Christian said, leading Ana through the area. "GEH has a world-leading team of marketers specializing in both print and digital platforms. And it's not just in-house marketing - we also do web development and promotional advertising for a lot of our acquired businesses."

"Wow," Ana said, impressed as she gazed at their surroundings. The two of them continued to walk around the Marketing department, Christian pointing out different parts of the office while politely greeting several of the employees who passed by. Ana was a bit surprised at how friendly Christian sounded when talking to his subordinates, and how a lot of his employees seemed both awed and excited to see him walking amongst them. Ana felt almost proud to be the person important enough to be seen alongside him.

Christian finished showing her around the Marketing department before taking her up a few more floors to Research & Development. This place was an open-concept office similar to that of the Marketing department, but this place had a laboratory that could rival an ivy-league university science department. A lot of the employees on this floor behaved the same way as the Marketing people, greeting Christian with the level of awe and enthusiasm one would usually reserve for a revered public figure. Christian took it all in stride, and Ana couldn't help but be impressed by his good reputation within the company. Ana had almost expected people to be scurrying away in fear upon seeing the big boss, but that's not at all what was happening.

Christian was well-liked here - quite the opposite of what Ana's first impression of him was. She had to admit, the idea of a friendly, likable Christian Grey was a bit weird.

After Christian finished showing her around the department, he led her back to the elevator, which would take them up to the executive offices on the top floor. The elevator was empty once they stepped inside, and after the doors closed behind them, a short silence hung between them.

"Your company is amazing, Christian," Ana said after a moment, turning to smile up at him. "You've really accomplished a lot since you took over as CEO."

"Thank you, Ana," Christian smiled back at her. "Although I'm sorry we don't have more time to show you around the rest of the building. I'm exceedingly proud of my father's company, and I do feel honored that I get to carry on his legacy. He was well-loved by all his employees, and I just hope they see me the same way."

"I can tell that they do," Ana said assuredly. "They're all clearly very impressed by you and everything you've done for this company."

"That is comforting, though I don't necessarily set out to do my work just to impress people," Christian said.

"So this tour you're giving me wasn't designed just to impress me?" Ana teased.

Christian chuckled, and Ana felt her heart skip a beat. She realized in that moment that this was probably the most friendly conversation she and Christian had ever had.

_Oh my God, am I actually... flirting with him? _

"It would be designed to impress you, if I thought you were the type of girl who was impressed by things like money and power," Christian said smoothly. "I suppose this is all an effort in futility, isn't it?"

Ana giggled at his joke, but didn't say anything to that. A confluence of emotions filled her chest as she realized she was starting to feel attracted to Christian… an attraction she hadn't felt before he took her on a tour around his company.

God, was she really that shallow? Was it really his money and power that attracted her? Or was there more to it than that?

They were silent as the elevator took them up to the top floor, and once the doors slid open, Ana saw a familiar person standing and leaning against the large mahogany door on the opposite side of the foyer.

"Elliot," Christian greeted him as they stepped out of the elevator, and Elliot looked up. His face lit up in a huge smile when his eyes fell on Ana.

"Hey there, stranger," he greeted her happily, walking toward. "Long time no see!"

"How are you, Elliot?" Ana couldn't help but smile. Elliot had such an infectious personality, it was difficult to not enjoy being around him.

"I'm good," Elliot grinned, reaching them and pulling Ana into a big bear hug. "I didn't know you were in the city today, Ana. Are you, um… are you with the rest of your family?"

Ana knew he wanted to know about Kate, and she couldn't help but smile knowingly at him. "No, sorry. It's just me - I had a job interview this morning."

"I was hoping it would be okay if Ana joined us for lunch today," Christian said to Elliot.

"Of course it's okay. The more the merrier!" Elliot grinned widely. "Want to head down to the cafeteria right now? I'm starving."

"Yeah, let's go," Christian said, gesturing for Elliot and Ana to walk ahead of him back to the elevators. Ana blushed and smiled at him before walking forward, her heart beating loudly in her chest, and she could have sworn she saw Christian smile back.

* * *

The GEH cafeteria on the fourth floor was a beautiful open space with white floors and large windows overlooking the city. The place was set up almost like a food court, with multiple kiosks containing a wide array of foods, including a cafe with coffee and pastries, a soup and sandwich shop, and a drinks bar.

Ana, Elliot and Christian all bought sandwiches and sat together at a booth near the window, chatting happily with one another. Elliot was always entertaining and silly, but more surprisingly Christian was actually making a real effort to be engaging in the conversation. Ana remembered how Christian used to always act quiet and taciturn in public settings, so this new friendly version of him felt like a complete one-eighty. What had caused this change in personality for him?

_Could it really be me?_

Ana shook that thought away as soon as she had it. There was absolutely no way Christian felt the same way about her, so she should just put it out of her mind.

"Ana, do you have to go meet up with Charlie soon?" Christian now asked, and Ana checked her watch, surprised and disheartened to see how much time had passed.

"Wow, yeah I do," she said, bringing her wrist down. "I'm sorry guys, I'm going to have to cut our lunch short."

"It's no problem, Ana," Elliot said kindly. "I'll bus your tray for you, and Christian can see you out."

"Thanks Elliot," Ana smiled at him. "It really was great seeing you again."

"You too, Ana. Say hi to your whole family for me!"

"Will do."

They said their final goodbyes, and Christian led Ana back toward the doors of the cafeteria, where the elevators were waiting to take them down to the lobby.

"Thanks for lunch, Christian," Ana said as they walked together toward the elevator doors. "And for the tour of your company. It really is amazing here."

"You're very welcome, Ana," Christian said sincerely, and he hesitated a moment. "You said you're staying in Seattle with Charlie until tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," Ana said, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.

"My sister Mia is actually flying in from San Francisco tonight," Christian explained, and they stopped in front of the elevators before turning toward one another. "She and I were going to go out for brunch tomorrow morning, and I was wondering if you would like to join us."

Ana raised her eyebrows, feeling surprised and flattered by his offer. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean…" Christian cleared his throat awkwardly, and Ana couldn't help but smile. "I just thought since you were still going to be in Seattle tomorrow, and Mia was going to be here too, I hoped the two of you could actually meet."

"That sounds nice," Ana said sincerely, and she blushed slightly as she smiled at him. "I'd love to join you guys for brunch."

Christian blinked before smiling at her. "Great. I'll be sure to let my sister know."

Ana smiled again, feeling strangely delighted at the prospect of meeting Christian's sister. What made her feel happier, however, was the fact that Christian clearly didn't resent her for what she had said to him months ago.

It was a good feeling, knowing that Christian didn't hate her. She couldn't explain why, but the thought of him hating her was almost unbearable.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ana meets with Christian and Mia for brunch.**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	16. A tendency to some particular evil

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: A tendency to some particular evil**

"Ana, where have you been?" Charlie asked, standing on her doorstep as Ana approached her apartment with her suitcase in hand.

"Sorry, I was held up," Ana said apologetically, walking through the doorway when Charlie stepped aside to let her in. Ana had left GEH a little before two o'clock, and by the time she was able to get to her car and arrive at Charlie's apartment, it was almost a quarter to three.

"Really? Did your interview go for four whole hours?" Charlie asked in surprise, checking her watch.

"Um… no," Ana said, feeling suddenly embarrassed. "My interview ended a little before noon actually, so I walked a few blocks to go grab something to eat. I passed by Grey Enterprise Holdings and then ran into Christian."

"Really?" Charlie asked, her eyes wide. "So you were late because you and Christian were hanging out?"

"Well, kind of… Elliot was with him," Ana said, blushing for some reason as she set her suitcase beside the air mattress she and Kate had slept on the last time they stayed here. "We took a tour of his building and then ate lunch together in his company's cafeteria, that's all."

"Oh, that's all?" Charlie asked teasingly, smirking at her friend before crossing her arms. "So are you finally going to admit Christian might have a thing for you?"

"No," Ana said firmly, giving her friend a look. Charlie didn't know about Christian asking her out the last time she was in Seattle, and she felt her heart beating uncomfortably loudly in her chest. She hesitated a moment before looking down. "I know that he doesn't like me… but I do think I might have been wrong about him."

"Really?" Charlie asked, raising her eyebrows in sincere surprise, and she uncrossed her arms. "Ana Steele, actually admitting that she's wrong about something?"

"Shut up," Ana smirked at her friend, and Charlie giggled. "Yes, I admit I was wrong to assume Christian was a rude, cocky bastard. I've been trying to be better about not making assumptions about people I may not know very well, and since I feel like I've gotten to know Christian a bit better lately, I'm able to see the kind of person he really is. He's actually a good guy who's been through a lot in his life, and I shouldn't have been so quick to jump to conclusions about him."

Charlie looked a bit surprised at her friend's maturity. "Wow," she said after a moment of silence. "Good for you, Ana."

Ana shrugged, smiling embarrassedly. "I figured since I'm graduating from college soon, it's about time I started acting like an adult."

"Oh please," Charlie chastised her friend with a smile. "You just made a mistake about Christian, and grown-ups make mistakes all the time. I seriously doubt that Christian would consider going out on a date with you to be a mistake though…"

"Oh my God, you have to stop," Ana rolled her eyes at her friend with an incredulous laugh. "Christian doesn't want to go out on a date with me, so just drop it."

"I refuse to," Charlie insisted with a laugh. "You guys would be adorable together, I just know it."

"This coming from the girl who claims she's not a romantic?" Ana raised her eyebrows with a grin. "How's Jose by the way?"

Charlie rolled her eyes, duly chastised. "He's fine. He had to work at the _Lady de Bourgh_ tonight. He said that if he got off early, he would take us on a tour of the place, but I told him you and I were busy."

Ana laughed. "Thank you for that."

The two of them continued to chat about their plans for the night, which included dinner and a movie, and maybe finishing the night out at one of the local college bars. Ana hadn't mentioned to Charlie about going out for brunch tomorrow with Christian and his sister, and she wasn't planning to. Charlie already teased Ana enough about Christian having a thing for her, and there was no need to encourage her further. Besides, Ana figured Christian was just being polite when he invited her to come to brunch with them, and she refused to get her hopes up about something that would probably end up being nothing.

Not that she had any hopes regarding Christian or anything…

* * *

Ana woke up bright and early the following morning, and she changed into the only other outfit she'd brought along with her to Seattle - a pair of dark skinny jeans, flats, and a purple cashmere sweater. The restaurant they were going to was relatively nice, so Ana hoped she wasn't too underdressed.

Ana arrived at the restaurant around ten o'clock, and she scanned the crowded area from the front while the hostess was preoccupied with another group that had come in. Ana finally noticed Christian sitting at a nearby table with a pretty, dark-haired young woman, both of them sipping espresso from small white coffee cups. Ana, feeling suddenly nervous, hesitantly approached them.

"Ana," Christian greeted her with a smile when he saw her approach. He quickly got to his feet and buttoned his suit jacket. "I'm glad you made it."

"Of course. Thank you for inviting me," Ana smiled, blushing for some reason.

"May I introduce you to my sister, Mia?" Christian gestured to the other girl, who got to her feet too. "Mia, this is Ana Steele."

Mia was a gorgeous young woman with a slightly darker complexion than Christian, and her short dark hair, big hazel eyes, and bright happy smile made Ana instantly like her. She looked very pretty today in a black dress with three-quarter lace sleeves and a pearly gold necklace.

"Hi Ana. It's so nice to meet you!" Mia said with a sincere grin, holding out her hand. Ana shook it, smiling back.

"It's nice to meet you too."

"The waiter just came by with our coffee, but we could probably flag him down for you if you want a cup too," Christian said as the three of them sat down in their seats, Ana taking the spot right between Mia and Christian.

"Oh no, that's fine," Ana smiled, setting her purse by her feet. "I'm more of a tea drinker anyway."

"I'm trying to convince Christian to let us get mimosas," Mia said, smiling at her brother and picking up her menu. "But he won't let me."

"You're nineteen, Mia. You're too young to be drinking alcohol," Christian chastised his sister with a smile.

"Oh come on, it's a special occasion! And it's not like I'm by myself, I have two adults of legal drinking age with me," Mia said, gesturing toward Ana.

"It is a special occasion," Ana conceded, looking to Christian with a small grin.

"Alright fine, we'll have a round of mimosas," Christian rolled his eyes with an amused grin.

"Yay! Thank you Ana," Mia squealed, reaching over to squeeze Ana's forearm. "I knew I was going to like having you around."

Ana laughed just as the waiter approached the table. They ordered their meals, and Christian ordered them all mimosas, and once the waiter left Mia immediately turned to Ana.

"So my brother tells me you're still in school?"

"Yeah. I'm graduating in a few weeks, actually," Ana explained. "That's why I'm in Seattle for the weekend - I had an interview for an internship at Seattle Independent Publishing. My friend Charlie is going to Seattle university, and I ended up crashing at her place last night."

"Wow, that's so cool," Mia grinned. "I hope you get that internship, Ana."

"Thanks," Ana smiled sincerely. "And I hear you're going to culinary school in San Francisco? What's that been like?"

"It's pretty cool actually. The city is so beautiful, and I've been having so much fun learning about all the different cultures of food and the techniques of how to prepare it," Mia said brightly. "But I'm kinda sad, I'm actually going to be leaving San Francisco soon to enroll in a pastry school in Nice."

Ana stared at her in shock. "Wow, Nice? As in France?"

"At the _Les Petits Farcis,_" Christian said, and Ana looked over at him. He was smiling proudly at his little sister. "She got accepted a few weeks ago, and she's going to be studying under the famed Chef Floubért."

"It's going to be me and like fifteen other students," Mia went on. "It'll be pretty competitive… apparently our exams are going to consist of us working the dinner rush at a Michelin 3-star restaurant."

Mia went on to explain more about culinary school and the type of pastries she was interested in baking, and Christian would chime in with his own thoughts from time to time, clearly proud of his baby sister's accomplishments. Ana was fascinated to learn all of these things about Mia, and she was happy to know that what had happened with Jack didn't break her down completely.

Ana had no idea if Mia knew she knew about Jack, and she made the decision not to mention him. There was no reason to bring up that slimeball anyway.

Their food finally arrived, and after they started eating, Mia began asking Ana about her own life. She seemed to want to know everything about her - who her friends were, what Portland was like, and how she enjoyed being an English major. Ana answered her questions as best she could, hoping she didn't sound inadequate to Mia's interesting and varied life as a French pastry chef.

"So are you going home later today?" Mia now asked, cutting into her crepes covered in strawberry sauce.

"Yeah. Actually, it's my sister Leila's seventeenth birthday today," Ana explained with a smile. "My family and I are taking her out to eat tonight, so I should be getting back by this afternoon."

"That sounds nice," Christian smiled. "Although I'm sorry you can't stay in the city a bit longer."

Ana looked over at him and felt her cheeks go pink. "I'm sorry too," she said sincerely. "I really love Seattle… every time I come here, I wish I could stay longer."

"Well, hopefully you'll get that job at Seattle Independent Publishing," Christian said. "Then maybe we'll get to see you more."

Ana gazed into his eyes, and saw something there that made her heart pound in her chest. "Yeah, I'd like that," she said, almost shyly.

Ana heard a giggle from beside her, and she and Christian turned to see Mia gazing at the two of them, biting back a laugh as she brought her mimosa up to her lips. Christian and Ana both looked away, not wanting to meet each other's eyes.

The three of them continued to chat, talking about everything and nothing. Ana found herself really liking Mia, and she could tell Mia was a lot like Christian in that they both had very kind personalities, although Christian's may have taken Ana a bit longer to realize.

"Ana, I think your phone's ringing," Mia looked at Ana's purse on the floor, and Ana looked down too. Sure enough, her smartphone was glowing and vibrating from inside her open purse, the caller ID flashing _Mom_.

"Oh, thank you," Ana said, reaching down to pick up her phone. "It's my mom. I should probably take this… excuse me."

She got up from her chair and made her way toward the front door. Once she was a few yards outside the restaurant, she answered the call:

"Hey Mom," she said.

"Ana," Carla spoke from the other end, sounding distressed. "Thank God! Why haven't you picked up? I've been calling you for like fifteen minutes."

Ana halted, surprised at her mother's anxious tone. "Um, I've been at brunch with some friends. What's going on?"

"Leila's gone," Carla said, holding back a sob. "She snuck out of her bedroom window last night and hasn't come back! She left a note saying she was running away with a boy that she's been dating in secret… some college kid named Jack. Kate said that you might know him?"

Ana suddenly felt dizzy, and her heart began to pound as the reality of the situation settled over her... Leila and Jack were together? When the hell did that happen? And the two of them actually ran away together last night? This was all too much information for Ana to process.

"…Ana?" Carla asked when Ana didn't speak for a few moments.

"Yeah… yeah, I know Jack," Ana said weakly, shaking her head. "But I had no idea he and Leila were together. Do you have any idea where they might be?"

"I don't know, but your father is talking to the police right now," Carla said. "We need as much information about Jack as we can get. You need to come home as soon as possible, sweetheart."

"Yes, yes of course," Ana said distractedly. "I need to go grab my things… I can be in Portland in a few hours."

"Thank you honey. Please be safe."

Ana said goodbye before hanging up the phone, feeling like she was about to be sick. She knew she now had to go back inside and explain to Christian and Mia that she had to leave immediately, but she didn't want to say why… for Mia's sake, at least, she wanted to keep the truth of the situation a secret.

Taking a shaky breath, Ana made her way back inside the restaurant and over to the table.

"Ana, what's wrong?" Christian asked immediately, alarmed at the expression on her face.

"I'm sorry, something happened back home," Ana said, her voice quavering slightly. "I have to go right now. I'm really sorry, I can't stay for the rest of brunch."

"No, of course," Christian said, quickly getting to his feet. "We understand. Is there anything we can do?"

"No, there's nothing anyone can do," Ana said distractedly, bending down to pick up her purse. "But thank you."

"I hope everything is okay, Ana," Mia said concernedly, getting to her feet as well. "It was really nice meeting you today."

"It was nice meeting you too, Mia," Ana said with a small smile, and she and Mia hugged. "I hope we get to do this again sometime."

"Definitely."

Once Ana released Mia, Christian moved over to Ana's side. "I'll walk you out," he insisted, and before Ana could protest, he was leading her out of the restaurant toward the front doors.

"Ana, are you sure there's nothing I can do?" he asked quietly as soon as they were outside and away from other people. "You look very pale."

Ana, unable to hold it in any longer, bent her head down and began to cry, bringing a hand up to cover her eyes. She felt Christian watching her with concern, and he placed one of his hands on her arms, rubbing it comfortingly.

"Ana, you can't go back to Portland like this," Christian said quietly. "You're in no condition to drive."

"No. No, I have to go," Ana said firmly, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes. "Leila's run away with Jack, and no one knows where they are. I need to go back as soon as possible so I can talk to the police."

Christian's hand froze on her arm as he frowned in shock. "Wait, what? Jack?"

Ana nodded. "Apparently the two of them had been dating in secret. None of us had any idea, and now I'm so scared for Leila. No one knows where they are… this is all my fault."

"No," Christian said immediately. "No, this isn't your fault, Ana."

"You told me what kind of person Jack is, and what he's capable of," Ana sniffled. "I could've warned Leila away from him... I could have prevented this!"

"No Ana," Christian said firmly. "You could not have prevented Jack from being a manipulative bastard. Don't start blaming yourself for his shitty actions."

Ana sniffled again, not saying anything.

"Go to Portland and be with your family," Christian said, finally removing his hand from her arm and taking a step back. "I'll send one of my security personnel to follow your car back to Portland, just to be safe."

"You don't have to -" Ana began, but Christian interrupted her.

"I insist," he said. "Please, let me do this for you."

Ana hesitated a moment before nodding shakily. "Thank you, I appreciate it. And if you don't mind, please don't tell Mia what's going on with my family. I don't want her to know."

"Of course. Your secret's safe with me," Christian assured her.

"Thank you," Ana said, looking into his eyes. She couldn't quite read the expression on his face, but it definitely wasn't the warm smile he'd been giving her since they ran into each other yesterday. His eyes were cold and calculating, and it made Ana feel like a lead weight had fallen to the bottom of her stomach.

_He's distancing himself from me._

"I'll send my guy Taylor to follow you home," Christian said, quickly taking out his phone and texting something on it. "He'll find your car."

"Okay," Ana nodded, glancing down at her feet. After a moment she looked back up. "I guess this is goodbye."

Christian put his phone away before looking back up at her. He nodded. "I guess so. Goodbye Ana… be safe."

"I will," Ana nodded, and with that she turned around to head back to her car, not looking back.

* * *

**A/N: Oh no, the drama begins!**

**Thank you all for reading! If you liked this chapter, please leave a review. Next chapter, Ana heads back home to get more info about Leila and Jack.**


	17. To be prevailed upon to marry

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 17: To be prevailed upon to marry**

Ana's drive back to Portland felt unbearably long, though at the same time it felt like no time had passed at all since her mind was so preoccupied with everything going on. The bulk of the road trip consisted of her fielding phone calls from Kate asking when she would be home, glancing impatiently at the clock on her dashboard, and staring at the road ahead while trying not to think about what she would find upon going home. She frequently noticed a black Audi following her all the way back home, and through her distress, she could sincerely appreciate Christian looking out for her despite everything going on.

However, this whole debacle with Leila would probably prevent Christian from wanting anything to do with her anymore… but she couldn't think about that right now.

After over three hours of driving, Ana finally made it home, and she felt her stomach drop the moment she saw a police car parked on the side of the road in front of the house. She parked in the driveway before getting out of the car, and she turned to watch the black Audi that had followed her home drive down the street and out of sight.

"Ana?"

Ana turned toward the front door, and noticed Kate stepping out onto the porch, a worried frown on her face.

"Kate," Ana said, feeling immediately comforted by her older sister's presence. They walked toward each other and embraced.

"Any word yet?" Ana asked before pulling away. Kate shook her head.

"No. We're just talking with a police officer right now… Mom and Dad want to get the cops to put out a search for Leila, but apparently law enforcement doesn't want to waste time and resources on a runaway teenager."

Ana sighed, rolling her eyes. "Of course they don't. Does the officer know that she's with Jack?"

"Yeah, we showed him the letter she left on her desk," Kate said. She helped Ana pull her suitcase from the car and walked with her to the front door. "None of us know enough about Jack to give the officer much information about him, though. Maybe now that you're here, we'll be able to get some more info about him."

"Maybe… but I don't know. I feel like despite all that time I spent with Jack, I never really knew him at all," Ana said. Kate didn't say anything, and the two of them walked together through the front door of the house, ready to face what was inside.

* * *

It was several hours later when the police officer finally left the Steele home. Ana endured hours of countless questions, from both the police officer and her parents, about Jack and who he was to her. Ana already felt guilty for bringing that piece of garbage into their lives, subsequently leading to him running away with her little sister, but she did her best recounting everything she knew about Jack. She hoped what information she had about him would aid in the police search - Kate, Carla, and Ray had already given the police officer the names of all Leila's friends, and Ana made sure to give him the names of Jack's friends from the Delta Chi frat.

It was now dinnertime, and Kate and Ana were in the kitchen helping their mother bake a casserole while Ray sat at the dining room table with his laptop, trying to reach out to family and friends through Facebook about where Leila and Jack may have gone.

"I don't know where we went wrong," Carla said tearfully, dabbing her eyes with a dish towel. "I don't know what I did to make my baby girl act out like this."

"You haven't done anything wrong, Mom," Kate said to her mother soothingly. "Leila has been acting out for awhile now. I can only assume it was Jack who was the cause of it."

"Oh, my poor Leila," Carla sobbed. Ray, noticing his wife's distress, got up from the table.

"It's alright, darling. I'm sure Leila and Jack are still in the area, and we'll find them soon," he said, pulling Carla into his arms, and she rested her head against his shoulder. "And the police said they're going to start a preliminary search for them. I'm sure this will all be over before we know it."

Ana and Kate exchanged a glance, but neither of them said anything.

The timer on the oven suddenly beeped. "Oh, that's the casserole," Carla said, drying her eyes and pulling away from her husband. "Ana, can you grab that?"

"Sure," Ana said, picking up the oven mitts and opening the oven door to take out the casserole. Kate walked over to the cabinet to grab the plates and forks.

"The casserole smells great guys," Ray said, pecking his wife on the forehead before walking back over to his laptop. "Let's eat dinner, and then we can continue working on finding Leila."

The others agreed, and despite all the horrible stuff that had happened today, Ana couldn't help but feel comforted by the simple fact that her family was here right now, eating dinner at home.

~/~

After they all ate, Ana and Kate made their way upstairs together.

"Did Leila leave anything in her room that might hint at where she and Jack might be?" Ana asked as they approached Leila's door, which was open.

"No, just that note saying she was running away," Kate said as the two of them entered. "Dad and I searched her room from top to bottom, but we couldn't find anything. We think she took her phone with her, though Dad thinks it's turned off because we can't track it through the Find my Phone app. She even went so far as to delete the search history on her desktop computer."

Kate walked over to Leila's computer and clicked the mouse so the screen lit up. Ana's stomach dropped as she looked at the wallpaper… it was a collage of Leila and Jack posing for selfies, laughing, hugging, making silly faces, and even kissing. Just looking at it made Ana want to throw up.

"Yeah, that was my reaction too," Kate said, noticing the look on Ana's face before glancing back over at the computer screen. "It's still hard to imagine the two of them together… I don't understand how none of us could have realized what was really going on."

"When Jack was with Christian's sister, he managed to convince her not to tell anyone about their relationship," Ana said, scowling. "It's not difficult to imagine him using the same fucked-up tactics on Leila."

Kate sighed before glancing down at her feet. "I know that Dad said they're probably still in the area somewhere, but I can't help but think that that's not the case. I feel like we would have heard something by now if they were nearby."

"Yeah, I know," Ana grimaced. "But I hope for Leila's sake we're wrong."

Kate didn't say anything, but Ana knew there was probably a lot they both wanted to say yet couldn't find the words. Silently, the two of them walked back out of Leila's bedroom and closed the door behind them.

* * *

The Steele's didn't hear anything more that night, and they all went to bed with their minds filled with thoughts of Leila. Ana hardly got a wink of sleep, and for hours she tossed and turned in her bed, trying to think about anything other than where Leila might be and if she was okay.

_I wish I hadn't told Christian about what happened._

That one thought crossed Ana's mind as she stared up at her dark ceiling, and she knew this probably wasn't the time or place, but she couldn't help thinking it. Christian and Jack had had a long and difficult history that seemed like it was finally in the past, but in her ignorance and pride, Ana had brought Jack into their lives once again and fucked everything up.

And now this whole thing with Leila would irrevocably tie Jack to her family, quite possibly ruining any future chance Ana could've had with Christian… as slim as that chance might have been.

Ana rolled over on her side and squeezed her eyes shut, resolved to not think about Christian again as she began to fall into a fitful, uneasy sleep.

The next morning, the Steele family woke up to a visit from the police officer they spoke to yesterday. Apparently, he and his partner had found something… some gas station footage of a person they believed to be Jack.

"This footage was taken at a gas station right off Highway 95 near McDermitt," the officer said, handing them several pieces of paper showing stills of black-and-white security camera footage. The pictures were a bit blurry, but Ana could easily recognize Jack standing beside his car, which he was filling up with gas.

"That's him," Ana confirmed to the officer, and he nodded.

"The security footage got a shot of his license plate," he said. "That is his car, and we believe Leila was in the passenger seat with him in this shot."

"They were in McDermitt?" Ray asked, flabbergasted. "That's all the way on the southern border of the state! Are they driving to Nevada?"

The officer hesitated a moment, and Ana suddenly realized what was going on. "Do you think they're driving to Las Vegas?" she asked quietly.

Kate placed a hand over her mouth as Carla gasped. "Oh my God, they ran away to get _married_?! She's only seventeen!"

"Is that even legal?" Ray asked the police officer, who shook his head.

"No, but Vegas chapels don't really care about the finer aspects of marital laws. It would be easy enough for Leila to lie about her age if she wanted to," he explained. "My partner and I have alerted the local police in Las Vegas about the two of them, and we should hopefully have more information within the next day or two."

"I'm not going to sit around and wait to hear if my underage daughter has gotten married to some sleazeball!" Ray shouted angrily, jumping to his feet. "We have to go down there and find them, right now!"

"Dad, we don't know if they're in Vegas yet," Kate said fairly. "Or if they're even going to Vegas in the first place. We would have no idea where to even start looking… the only thing we can do right now is wait for more information."

Ray still looked upset, and Ana was right there with him… she felt utterly useless just sitting around here at home and waiting. She wished she could go to Vegas right now to start looking for Leila and Jack, even if it did feel completely hopeless.

"We'll keep you and your family updated with any new information," the police officer said to Ray. "We'll do our best to discover them before they actually get married, but I can't make any promises."

Ray turned away, running a hand over his face, and Ana felt utterly dejected. Even with a vague idea as to where the two of them were heading, this search seemed fruitless…

What if they were too late? What if Leila and Jack were married right at this moment? Ana really didn't want to think about that.

The police officer soon left, and Ana headed upstairs to her bedroom without saying anything to anyone. Since coming back from Seattle, Ana hadn't allowed herself to think about asking _him _for help finding Leila, but now it seemed like she didn't have much of a choice.

After closing the door behind her, Ana walked over to her desk and picked up her cell phone, readying herself to call up the one guy she knew could help. Christian had told her in his letter he'd been keeping tabs on Jack for months, so she knew if there was anyone who had a chance of finding Leila, it would be Christian.

However, Ana remembered the expression on Christian's face right before she had said goodbye to him in front of the restaurant… he was acting very cold and distant toward her, clearly wanting nothing to do with her or her fucked-up family. If she was being honest with herself, it was that look on his face that made Ana so reluctant to call him up to ask for help in the first place.

Now wasn't the time for fear or trepidation, however… she needed to suck it up and ask the man whom she had harshly rejected months ago to help her with a problem that he probably didn't want anything to do with.

_God, I hate this._

Taking a deep breath and steeling herself, Ana dialed Christian's number and brought the phone up to her ear.

It rang once… it rang twice… it rang three times… Ana felt her heart pounding loudly in her throat as she waited for him to pick up.

"_Hello, you've reached Christian Grey. I'm unable to answer the phone right now, but please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."_

Ana quickly hung up the phone before she heard the beep, feeling like she was about to be sick. Tears sprung up in the corner of her eyes as she shakily set her phone back down on her desk… him not picking up the phone sent a clear message that he didn't want anything to do with her or with her problems. She never should have bothered to call him in the first place.

Quickly brushing away the errant tear that had fallen down her cheek and taking a deep shaky breath, Ana decided not to let Christian ghosting her bring her down. She knew that he had no obligation to help her or her family, so her thinking that he would help them would be foolish.

Still… Ana felt that his rejection would have hurt less if he at least answered the phone. But maybe he felt just saying 'no' to her face was too harsh.

Ana took another deep breath before walking out of her room to go back to her family downstairs, knowing that they were probably wondering where she was.

* * *

A small Boeing jet touched down at McCarran International Airport at around three o'clock on Sunday, the conditions being rather cool and foggy for this November afternoon. The plane sped down the runway before finally slowing down to a rolling stop; instead of pulling up to a jet bridge at the terminal, it rolled up near the hangar slightly away from the other planes. Some airline workers in windbreakers hurried over to it, doing some quick maintenance checks before pushing a rolling staircase up to the door.

The door eventually opened and two men stepped out, one of them on the phone as the two of them made their way down the steps.

"So they're off of Highway 95 in Beatty?" Christian Grey asked, his phone to his ear as he gazed off into the distance. "Are you sure Welch?"

"Positive," Welch said from the other end. "It's a nondescript little town, but it looks like he arrived around noon and hasn't moved since. I can only assume they got a room at a motel and are currently staying there until they can head to Las Vegas."

"Try to get the name of the motel they're staying at," Christian said. "And let me know if they move at all. Taylor and I are going to start heading in their direction right now."

"Yes sir."

Christian hung up the phone before turning to Taylor. "Ready to go?"

"The car's arriving now, sir," Taylor said, looking over to the right. Sure enough, a black Lexus was driving toward them from the hangar. "Welch said they're in Beatty?"

"Yeah, a two-hour drive from here," Christian said, grimacing. "We better get a move on."

"Yes sir."

Once the Lexus pulled up and the keys were handed off to Taylor, Christian got into the backseat. He knew that what he was doing right now was overstepping bounds quite a bit, but Ana had seemed so upset about what had happened with her sister, he couldn't just sit back and let that scumbag Jack take advantage of her family like this.

He was going to do everything in his power to help, even if it meant that Ana would never know what he did.

Taylor pulled out of the hangar and headed toward the highway, driving off to where they knew Jack and Leila were currently staying.

* * *

**A/N: And the drama continues :)**

**If you liked this chapter, please review! Next chapter, Christian confronts Jack about bringing Leila home.**


	18. Too generous to trifle with me

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Too generous to trifle with me**

"We're here."

After hours of driving, Taylor finally pulled into a seedy-looking motel on the side of the highway; it had a very creepy, decrepit look to it, right down to the peeling brown paint on the side of the building and the blinking red letters of the neon MOTEL sign. Only about three or four cars were in the parking lot, and Christian saw one of them had Oregon license plates.

"That's their car," Christian said, undoing his seatbelt. "You stay here and I'll find the room they're in."

"Sir, that's really not advisable," Taylor said seriously. "We don't know the situation we're walking into. For all you know, Jack could have a weapon on him."

"I know Jack. He's never owned a weapon in his life - he'd rather flatter and charm his way out of a bad situation," Christian stated. "If I need help, I'll call you. Otherwise, I think it's best if I do this alone."

Taylor hesitated a moment before reluctantly nodding. "If you say so, sir."

Christian got out of the car and walked across the parking lot toward the front office, where he saw a fat balding man standing and leaning against a desk while idly thumbing through a magazine.

"Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?" the guy asked in a bored voice when Christian approached.

"Hi, I'm looking for a couple who just checked in. A blonde guy and a brown-haired girl," Christian explained. "Their names are Jack and Leila, could you tell me - ?"

"I'm sorry sir, I can't reveal private guest information," the guy interrupted, turning back to his magazine. "You'll have to check into your own room or leave."

Christian stared at the guy for a moment before reaching into his pocket for his wallet. He pulled out a hundred dollar bill and tossed it onto the desk, right in the guy's line of sight. "I just need their room number."

The guy picked up the bill and folded it, tucking it into the front pocket of his Tommy Bahama shirt. "Room 201. Down the hall, up the stairs, second door you see."

"Thanks," Christian said, turning around and heading back out the door.

Since this was a dingy motel, all the rooms led outside onto a long balcony. Christian headed down the first floor walkway before reaching the staircase, which was basically a rickety fire escape. Once he was on the second floor, Christian spotted room 201, and he walked right up to the door before knocking.

There were a few moments of silence before he knocked again, and he heard a scuffling sound of footsteps from behind the door. The person on the other side hesitated, as if nervous.

"Who is it?" a muffled female voice sounded from behind the door.

"Leila? It's Christian," he said. "Can you open the door?"

There was another brief silence before he heard the lock unclick and Leila crack open the door. She peered out at Christian, frowning in confusion.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, opening the door wider and glancing down the walkway to see if anyone else was with him. "Did my family send you?"

"No, they don't know I'm here," Christian said. "But I'm going to bring you back to them."

"What?" Leila looked up at him, eyes wide. "No, I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Where's Jack?" Christian asked, changing tack.

"None of your business," Leila snapped.

Christian ignored her as he pushed his way through the door and into the motel room, gazing around. It was an ugly room with dark wood-paneled walls, brown carpeting, and an old television set that looked like it was from the eighties. The sheets on the bed were messed up, but aside from that no one else was here.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Leila screeched as Christian strode over to the closed door on the opposite side of the room. "Get out!"

Christian ignored her as he opened the door, which led to the bathroom. He flicked on the lights and glanced around, seeing it was empty. "You're here by yourself?"

"Obviously," Leila snapped. "What is your problem?"

"Did he hurt you?" Christian asked, turning the bathroom lights off before facing Leila again. "Jack?"

"No!" Leila insisted.

"Are you pregnant?"

Leila blanched. "What? No, of course not!"

"Then why are you two going to Las Vegas to get married?"

Leila blinked, clearly shocked that he knew about that. "I don't have to explain myself to you," she stated.

"Leila?"

Jack now appeared in the doorway, a crease in his brow as his eyes darted between Leila and Christian. He was wearing a simple white t-shirt and jeans, and in his hands he held two cans of Coke and a small bag of chips, clearly from the downstairs vending machine.

"Jack!" Leila cried, and she rushed toward him and practically tackled him in a hug, holding him around his waist. "He just barged in, I couldn't stop him."

Jack ignored her as he stared right at Christian, and Christian stared right back. It had been over a year since Christian laid eyes on this piece of shit - his hair was a bit shaggier and he had lost a bit of weight, but apart from that he didn't look any different.

"Christian," Jack greeted him, his voice cold.

"Jack," Christian said indifferently, glancing at Leila who was still clinging to him like a barnacle. "Still up to old habits, I see. Does she have an inheritance too?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack said smoothly, stepping away from Leila and moving over to the TV stand to set down his chips and soda. He then walked back over to Leila and cupped her face in one of his hands, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "Are you alright, baby?"

"Yeah," Leila nodded.

"Jesus Christ, Jack. She's seventeen," Christian growled. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Our relationship is none of your business," Jack said casually, turning back to Christian while wrapping an arm around Leila's waist, holding her to his side. "What's it to you?"

"Her family is worried sick about her," Christian countered. "They're scared something seriously bad has happened to her."

"Well, you can see right now that she's perfectly fine," Jack said smarmily. "So you can go fuck off."

"Are you sure my family doesn't know we're here?" Leila suddenly asked, and Christian looked at her.

"Yes, I'm sure," he said.

Jack raised his eyebrows at Christian in amusement before laughing. "Oh I see… you're playing the hero! Mr. Hero Christian Grey, what the hell would any of us do without you?"

"Shut the fuck up," Christian snapped at him. "I'm taking Leila back with me to Portland, end of story."

"No!" Leila snapped. "Jack and I are in love, and we're going to Vegas to get married! You can't stop us!"

"Leila, come on," Christian said, his voice almost chastising. "You must see how idiotic this is! You're underage and you've willingly abandoned your family to cross state lines with this asshole."

"Why did you come here, huh?" Jack asked Christian before Leila could respond; he released her waist before taking a step forward, glaring at Christian. "Was it really only because of Leila, or was it because of something else?"

"I don't need to explain anything to you," Christian glared at him. "But getting you the hell out of my life once and for all is a good enough motivation to be here."

"Me getting hitched to Leila has nothing to do with you," Jack said, raising his eyebrows at Christian with a knowing smirk. "Or does it? Her family certainly does… or more accurately, Ana does."

"Shut up," Christian growled.

"The way she always talked about you… she hated your guts, dude," Jack chuckled, unrelenting. "Then all of a sudden she stopped talking shit about you and started being nicer. I should have realized there must've been something going on between the two of you. I'm sure it really cut you up inside knowing that she had a thing for me…"

"Fucking hell Jack, her sister is right there," Christian interrupted, gesturing toward Leila. "Will you give it a rest?"

"Not until you leave," Jack snapped back. "Why the hell did you even come here in the first place?"

"I told you, I'm here to bring Leila back to her family," Christian insisted. "Whatever it takes to get her to go back home and away from you, I will do it."

"Oh really?" Jack asked skeptically, crossing his arms. "And what on earth would possibly convince me to just leave her?"

Christian raised his chin slightly and squared his shoulders. "I'll give you my penthouse apartment in New York City."

There was a brief moment of stunned silence before Leila let out an incredulous laugh. "Oh my God, _seriously_? You're bribing him with a stupid apartment? How shallow do you think he is?"

Jack didn't seem to share Leila's incredulity as he stared at Christian, as if trying to assess how serious he was. "Your New York penthouse? The one on Fifth Avenue?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes," Christian nodded.

"Rent-free?"

"Rent-free."

Jack narrowed his eyes at him. "You're lying," he stated. "What's the catch?"

"The catch is that you leave Leila right now and let her go back home to her family," Christian said. "You'll stay in New York and never come back to Portland or Seattle, and you'll never contact Leila, the Steele's, or my family ever again."

Jack raised his eyebrows before letting out a snort, reaching out a hand. "You've got yourself a deal."

"Wait, Jack," Leila said, staring at him in shock and disbelief. "Wh-what are you doing…?"

"It's just business, sweetheart," Jack said to her callously, still holding his hand out to Christian. Christian didn't take it, however.

"If you break any part of the deal, or if I get even a whiff of you fucking around my company while you're over there, you will be kicked out of that apartment before you even blink," Christian growled. "And you will pay me back every cent of rent money you owe me. Do you understand?"

"Crystal clear," Jack said without hesitation. "Don't worry, I don't want anything to do with you and your stupid company anymore. Shake my hand and I'll be out of your hair forever."

Christian glared at him for a moment or two, trying to see if he was being sincere or not, before finally grasping his hand and giving it a firm shake, sealing the deal.

"Jack, what the hell?!" Leila sobbed from behind him. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Jack ignored her as he walked over to the bed to grab his empty duffel bag, beginning to toss his things in.

"I'll purchase you a plane ticket," Christian said, but Jack shook his head.

"Don't trouble yourself. I'll find my own way," he said, grabbing his jacket from the armchair and pulling it on. "Maybe I'll drive there," he added thoughtfully.

Christian gave him an incredulous look. "You're going to drive across the country to New York City?"

"Yeah, why not? It's not like I'm on a time crunch or anything," Jack said, zipping up his duffel bag. "And my car is really the only thing I have that's worth bringing with me. It's not like I own a house or have rent to pay or anything."

He finished packing up his few possessions before hoisting the duffel bag over his shoulder and grabbing one of the cans of Coke from the TV stand. He stopped and looked over at Leila, who was still crying.

"Oh lighten up, sweetheart. It never would've worked out between the two of us anyway," Jack said without remorse. And with that, he strode to the door, opened it, and walked out without so much as a goodbye.

There was a brief silence after the door closed behind him.

"YOU ASSHOLE!"

Leila, still with tears in her eyes, charged up to Christian and began pounding him on the chest with her fists, sobbing. Christian tried to grab her by the wrists, and once he did she began flailing madly.

"Let go of me!" she cried, now trying to stomp on his feet. "You've ruined _everything_! Why would you do this to me?!"

"Leila," Christian said calmly, still trying to hold onto her struggling wrists. "Leila, please calm down."

"I love him, you asshole!" Leila cried. She managed to yank her wrists free from his grasp and make a run for the door, but Christian quickly caught her around the waist.

"He's gone Leila. He's not coming back," he insisted as she struggled against him. "He was going to leave whether I suggested it or not. There's nothing you can do."

Leila finally slumped against him, still crying in despair. Christian gently released her, and she dropped to her hands and knees, weeping. Christian knelt there, silent as he watched her.

"He loved me," Leila sobbed, sniffling as she wiped her eyes with her wrist. "He said he loved me."

Christian looked down at the floor. "Yeah… he said that to my sister a few months ago before abandoning her too."

That finally seemed to catch Leila's attention. She stopped crying and finished wiping her eyes before looking up at Christian. "Really?" she asked quietly

Christian nodded. "Yeah. I've known Jack my whole life, Leila. Trust me when I say that he's bad news."

Leila stared at him for a moment before looking away. "God, I'm such an idiot," she muttered after a moment. "I should have known he was taking advantage of me. How could I be so stupid?"

"Jack tends to do that to people," Christian said coldly. "It's not your fault, Leila."

"He made me feel loved," she sniffled, still wiping the tears from her eyes. "No one's ever made me feel loved before."

"I'm sure that's not true," Christian said, frowning slightly. "Your family loves you… your parents and your sisters."

"No," Leila immediately shook her head. "They don't love me."

"What are you talking about?" Christian said, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Of course they love you."

"No, they don't," Leila said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears again. "They hate me. I've treated them like garbage for months, and so they act like I'm this ticking time bomb that's about to go off at any second. My parents and I fight all the time, and my sisters and I used to get along, but now they never have time for me anymore…"

"Just because you fight with your parents sometimes and your sisters have busy schedules doesn't mean they don't love you," Christian argued. "Your family does love you - they always will. I was actually with Ana in Seattle when she got the news about you running away, and she was very upset. She had been really looking forward to spending your birthday with you."

Leila looked up at Christian, tears still shining in her eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah," Christian said. "Ana loves you, and you will always be her family, no matter how busy she is. And that goes for Kate and your parents too."

Leila sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her wrist once again. "I don't know how I'm ever going to face them again."

"You can do it. All they want is for you to come home," Christian assured her. He hesitated a moment before going on: "I can fly you back to Portland, but you need to call your parents yourself. Don't tell them I was here... tell them after Jack left you, you used what little money you had to take a bus back to Portland."

Leila frowned at him in confusion. "What? Why would I lie?"

"Your family doesn't know that I'm here," Christian explained. "And I'm kind of overstepping my bounds being here right now. It's best if they don't know of my involvement in getting you back home."

"But why get involved in the first place?" Leila asked. "Is it just because you hate Jack?"

Christian was quiet a moment or two, unsure of how to answer. "I mentioned before that I was with Ana when she got the news of you running away, and she was very upset by it. I wanted to help any way that I could, even if she won't know what I did."

Leila gave him a small smile. "You really like her, huh?"

Christian smiled slightly, but didn't respond. "Are you ready to come back with me now?"

Leila nodded, wiping the last tear from her eye. "Yeah," she muttered, pushing herself to her feet. "I'm ready."

"Then let's go," Christian said, getting to his feet as well.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Next up, Leila comes home to Portland and reunites with her family.**

**If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought :) **


	19. I must learn to be content

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I on nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: I must learn to be content**

It was Sunday evening, and the Steele's still hadn't heard a thing.

The police had promised to keep them updated with any new information about Leila and Jack, but they hadn't heard anything new for hours. Ana felt restless, and judging by the way Kate was constantly tapping her foot against the floor and the way Ray and Carla would continually glance down at their phones waiting for any incoming calls, Ana wasn't alone.

"Do you think we should call the police station?" Kate asked after several minutes of silence. "Maybe they got some new information but forgot to tell us about it."

"Maybe," Ana said, glancing over at Ray to see what he thought.

"I called them two hours ago and they still didn't have any new information," Ray said. "I'll give it one more hour and then I'll try again."

"Okay," Ana agreed.

There was another few moments of silence as the four of them sat, waiting for something - anything - to happen.

Ray's phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming call, and the four of them were suddenly on high alert.

"Is it the police?" Kate asked urgently, getting to her feet. Ana did the same.

"No," Ray said, staring at the phone screen in disbelief. "It's Leila."

Ana and Kate looked at each other, eyes wide. Ana could feel her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

Ray quickly fumbled to answer the phone, hitting speaker. "Leila?"

There was a brief pause on the other end until Leila spoke in a quiet voice: "Hi Dad."

Kate covered her mouth with her hands while Ana's face broke out into an earsplitting grin. Carla and Ray both looked stunned and elated.

"Leila," Ray said, his voice quivering slightly. "Sweetheart, where are you? We've been worried sick about you."

"I'm at the bus station," Leila replied, her voice still rather quiet.

"You are?" Carla asked, looking surprised. "Which bus station, sweetie?"

"The one on 5th and Madison."

Kate gasped, and Ana looked at her with wide eyes. Neither of them could believe it - Leila was back in Portland!

"You're in the city?" Ray asked, his voice hopeful. "When we spoke to the police, they said you had driven across state lines into Nevada."

There was a brief silence on Leila's end. "Yeah, I was in Nevada," she admitted. "Jack and I were going to Las Vegas to… to get married, but he abandoned me at a motel. I used the last of my money to take a bus back to Portland, and now I'm here." She paused again. "If it's alright with you, I… I want to come home now."

Ray let out a breath before bowing his head, looking beyond relieved his youngest daughter hadn't gotten hitched.

"Of course you can come home, sweetheart. We're so glad you're back," Carla said into the phone, smiling tearfully. "Your father and I will come by to pick you up right now, okay?"

"Okay," Leila said.

"We love you sweetheart."

There was a brief silence on the other end. "I love you too," Leila said after a moment, sounding like she was holding back tears. She hung up the phone with a click.

Ana and Kate immediately moved toward each other and embraced, laughing with relief. Carla and Ray both clasped hands with each other, smiling widely with each other.

"Our baby's coming home," Carla said, bringing her other hand up to her mouth. "Oh my God, I'm so relieved!"

"Me too," Ray smiled, getting to his feet. "Come on, darling, let's go and get her."

"What should Ana and I do?" Kate asked as Carla went to grab her purse.

"You two stay here," Ray said. "One of you call the police station and let them know we found Leila so they can call off the search."

"I'll do that," Kate said quickly, pulling out her phone.

"Let us know when you're with her," Ana said to her parents as they made their way to the door.

"We will," Ray nodded. With that, he and Carla waved goodbye before heading out the front door.

Once they were gone, Ana clasped her hands together before bringing them up to her lips, closing her eyes in a silent prayer to God, hoping that her little sister was really back again.

* * *

It was over an hour later when Carla and Ray finally came home, and Ana and Kate immediately rushed to the front door the moment they heard it open. Their faces broke out into identical earsplitting grins when they saw Leila standing in front of them, wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans while holding a small duffel bag in her hand.

"_Leila_!" Ana and Kate said in unison before rushing forward and practically tackling their little sister in a big bear hug.

Leila let out a laugh before dropping her duffel bag at her feet and hugging her sisters back. The three of them just stood there for a few moments, holding each other tight, and Ray and Carla simply watched their three daughters reunite, smiling lovingly.

"I missed you guys," Leila admitted in a quiet voice, not attempting to pull away from the hug. Ana smiled sadly.

"We missed you too, Ladybug," she said sincerely. "Please don't scare us like that again."

"I won't," Leila said, and Ana heard her sniffle slightly. "I'm sorry for how I've been acting lately."

Ana and Kate didn't respond with words, but they both instinctively tightened their hold on her, wanting to comfort her through what was clearly a difficult thing she was working through.

"Do you want to tell us what happened?" Kate asked after a few moments. She finally pulled away to look Leila in the eye. "You said that Jack abandoned you at a motel?"

"Yeah," Leila nodded. "It was at a little rundown motel a couple hours outside of Las Vegas. I had some money on me, and I was able to catch an overnight bus back to Portland."

"So he just abandoned you in the middle of nowhere?" Kate asked, sounding angrier than Ana had ever heard her before. "What reason did he give for leaving you like that?"

Leila didn't say anything as she looked down at her feet, and Ana quickly spoke up. "It doesn't matter. She clearly doesn't want to talk about it," she said firmly, wrapping an arm around Leila's shoulders. "Let's not push her, okay?"

Kate softened slightly, looking guilty. "Right, of course. I'm sorry, Ladybug."

"Don't worry about it," Leila said, smiling softly at Kate. "Have you guys had dinner yet? I'm starving."

"We've all been too worried to eat," Ray said. "But now that you're back, how about we order a pizza?"

The girls all agreed, and Ana saw a genuine smile on Leila's face - the first one she'd seen in a very long time. Ana couldn't help but smile too as she and Kate helped Leila bring her things upstairs to her bedroom.

~/~

It was amazing how quickly things went back to normal in the Steele household once Leila came back. The cloud of worry that had fallen over the family for nearly 48 hours had finally lifted, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Ana felt like everything would be okay again.

Leila had gone through a noticeable change since she got back a couple days ago, much to everyone's relief. She was a lot less moody, and she began opening up about her feelings more to her parents and sisters. She still didn't really want to talk about what happened with Jack, which Ana understood. Leila was likely humiliated by that whole experience, but Ana knew she would talk about it once she was ready.

However, Ana couldn't help but have this nagging worry that Jack wasn't gone for good. What had caused him to just up and leave Leila like that? There must have been a reason, and until Ana knew for sure, she would always be concerned he would come back in some capacity to fuck up their lives again.

Ana was currently sitting at her desktop computer finishing up an email to one of her professors when she heard a light knock on her bedroom door.

"Hey," Leila opened the door and stepped inside. "Sorry, are you busy?"

"No, not at all," Ana said quickly, saving her draft before exiting out of her email. "What's up?"

"Nothing much. Mom and Dad are downstairs talking about whether or not they should take me to see a therapist," Leila grimaced, walking over the Ana's bed and sitting down. "Mariah and I are going to the movies a bit later, so I'm gonna hide out upstairs until then."

"Do you not want to go to a therapist?" Ana asked.

Leila shrugged. "I don't know. Really, I just want everything to go back to normal, and I feel like seeing a shrink would indicate something's wrong with me."

"Well, with everything that's happened with you over the last few months, therapy may not be a bad idea," Ana said fairly. "And if Mom and Dad want you to go, it's only because they love you and want what's best for you."

"Yeah," Leila said, gazing down at Ana's comforter and picking at a loose thread. "I know that now. I had thought that Jack wanted what was best for me too, but I realized everything he said to me was a bunch of bullshit."

Ana felt her breath hitch slightly at the mention of Jack, and she got up from her desk to go sit beside Leila on the bed. "If you don't mind me asking," she began hesitantly. "Did the two of you ever…?"

Leila went bright red, shaking her head. "No. We never went all the way, but we did do… some stuff… together. I only did it because I really thought I loved him, but at the same time I still wasn't totally comfortable having sex with him because I'm technically a minor. That's when he suggested we go to Vegas to get married." Leila let out a small sigh through her nose, looking down at the floor. "He said if we were husband and wife, we could finally be together for real and we wouldn't have to be ashamed of our relationship. And I was stupid enough to believe him… I guess I felt us running away together was romantic, like Romeo and Juliet."

Ana didn't say anything as Leila paused for a moment, and rage against Jack began to build inside of her. "So he convinced you to marry him, basically kidnapped you, drove you all the way to Nevada, and then just abandoned you at a motel? God, what a piece of shit."

Leila grimaced, looking down at her hands while she twisted her fingers on her lap. "Um… that's actually not the whole story."

Leila glanced up at Ana rather anxiously, and Ana frowned at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Jack didn't just up and leave me randomly," Leila explained. "I didn't tell you guys, but someone came to visit us at our motel and talked Jack into leaving me."

Ana raised her eyebrows in genuine surprise. "What? Why did you hide that from us?"

"Because the guy asked me not to tell anyone what he did," Leila explained.

Ana was baffled. "Who was the guy?"

"Christian."

Ana could only stare at Leila, blinking a couple times as she tried to absorb this information. "Christian?" she repeated after a moment, trying to confirm if she heard the right name. "Christian Grey?"

"Yeah," Leila nodded. "He flew down to Nevada on his private jet and tracked down me and Jack at our motel. The two of them got into an argument, and then Christian told Jack that if he left me, he would give him a penthouse apartment in New York. That's when Jack agreed to leave and Christian took me home on his private jet."

Ana gaped at her sister, still shocked by this information. "B-but… I thought you took a bus here," she stammered out.

Leila smiled a bit. "Yeah, he asked me to tell you guys that. He really didn't want anyone else to know what he'd done."

"But why?" Ana asked. Why on earth wouldn't he want anyone to know what he'd done for her sister?

Leila shrugged. "He said that he was overstepping his bounds by coming to that motel and that it wasn't appropriate for him to be there. But it seemed like he and Jack had a history and there was a lot of bad blood there."

Ana frowned to herself, remembering everything Christian had told her about Jack in his email. "Yeah, there is," she said quietly.

"Christian mentioned that he was with you when you found out I had run away," Leila said quietly after a moment. Ana looked at her, and she saw Leila was gazing up at her. "He said that you seemed really worried about me."

Though it felt strange that Christian had spoken to Leila about her, Ana gave a sincere smile. "I really was worried. I love you Ladybug, and I was so afraid something bad had happened to you."

Leila didn't say anything, though Ana could see her eyes filling up with tears. Ana immediately scooched over so she could pull Leila into her arms, and Leila immediately hugged her back; they were silent for a few moments as they held onto each other, basking in each other's warmth.

"…Do you mind not telling Mom and Dad what I just told you?" Leila muttered after she finally pulled away, wiping her eyes. "About Christian?"

"Sure," Ana agreed, but she couldn't help but gaze at her in some confusion. "If Christian asked you not to tell anyone, why did you tell me?"

Leila shrugged. "I just… thought you should know," she said evasively. "Christian didn't really say anything, but I could kind of tell… I don't think Jack was the only reason he came to Nevada." She bit her lip. "I just… I don't know. I figured you'd want to know, that's all."

Ana couldn't help but smile slightly, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. "Thank you for telling me."

Leila smiled up at her sister. "Anytime. And in return you can come downstairs with me and convince Mom and Dad I don't need a shrink."

Ana giggled, getting to her feet. "I can try, but no promises Ladybug."

"You suck," Leila teased, following her to the door.

* * *

**A/N: So Ana knows about Christian helping Leila… what will she do with that information, I wonder? :)**

**If you liked this chapter, please review! Next up, a familiar face comes to town. **


	20. Obstinate, headstrong girl

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Obstinate, headstrong girl**

**~1 week later~**

Ana sat at the vanity in her room, gazing at herself in the mirror as she fastened her diamond stud earrings into her ears. Even though she rarely wore makeup during the day, this morning her face was done up with pretty eyeshadow and liner to make her blue eyes pop, light blush on her cheeks to complement her skin tone, and pink lipstick on her lips. Her hair was in soft curls around her shoulders, which looked pretty alongside the lace green capsleeve dress and nude heels she was wearing.

Ana finished putting in her earrings, and for a moment just stared at her reflection, her nerves making her heart pound erratically in her chest. She took a deep, steadying breath, centering herself, but her mind, as it so often did nowadays, drifted to Christian.

It was her graduation day today, and while Ana knew she should be focusing on this day she had been working toward for three-and-a-half years, she couldn't help but think about what Leila told her about Christian only a few short days ago. He had actually flown down to Nevada in order to convince Jack to leave so he could bring Leila back home to her family. Not only that, but he had apparently bribed Jack with a penthouse apartment in New York City, and Ana couldn't even imagine how much that must have cost him.

He had apparently done all that for her.

Ana had been warring with herself all week. She really wanted to call up Christian to thank him for what he did, and countless times she had picked up her cell phone to do just that. But she always stopped herself because she remembered that he hadn't wanted her to know in the first place, and he might react badly if he knew that she did know. Also, she had no idea what she would even say to him if she _did _end up calling him...

_Hi Christian! Thank you so much for rescuing my little sister from the predatory asshole I used to have a crush on and also for giving him your multi-million dollar apartment which I could never reimburse you for. Still wanna be friends? _

But still, this was a very big thing Christian did for her, and she didn't want to go on just pretending she didn't know. She ended up being in a state of indecision and worry for days now, and with her upcoming graduation, this whole ordeal could not have happened at a worse time.

There was a knock on her door, pulling her from her thoughts, and Carla poked her head inside. She smiled when she gazed at her daughter. "Oh Ana, you look lovely."

Ana smiled at her in the mirror. "Thanks Mom."

Carla walked into the room and moved right behind Ana, gazing at her daughter's reflection in the mirror as well. "Are you excited for today?"

Ana took a deep breath before nodding with a grimace. "More nervous than anything."

"Oh darling, there's nothing to be nervous about," Carla chastised lovingly, brushing a hand over Ana's hair. "All you're doing is walking across a stage to accept a diploma. It'll be done before you know it."

"I know," Ana smiled. "It's just that I've been waiting so long for this day, it doesn't even feel real."

"Your father and I are so proud of you, sweetheart," Carla said, moving her hands down to squeeze her shoulders. "And I'm especially glad we're all here to celebrate your big day today."

Ana smiled, knowing her mother was referring to Leila. "Me too."

The doorbell suddenly rang downstairs, and Carla turned around, frowning in confusion. "Who on earth could that be?"

"Maybe Grandma and Grandpa came early for the party," Ana said, getting to her feet. Carla shook her head.

"They know it's not until this afternoon," she said. "We haven't even gone to the graduation ceremony yet."

The two of them walked out of Ana's bedroom and made their way downstairs. When they walked into the front foyer, they both saw who had arrived.

Kate had answered the door, and she was frozen in place as Elliot stood on the threshold of their house, looking casual and handsome in distressed blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a dark brown leather jacket. He had his hands shoved into his jeans pockets, and his eyes were fixed on Kate with an unreadable expression.

"Elliot," Ana said in surprise as Carla slipped away into the kitchen. "What a surprise."

"Hey Ana," Elliot looked over at her and smiled slightly. "Sorry for coming by without calling first, but I was in the area."

"No, that's totally fine," Ana smiled. "It's good to see you again."

"You too. Though I think I should probably get out of your hair. I can tell you guys are going somewhere," Elliot said, glancing at Ana's and Kate's nice dresses.

"Yeah, we are actually," Ana said, unable to help chuckling slightly. "It's my college graduation today."

Elliot's eyes widened in shock: "Oh! Oh my God, I… I didn't realize," he stuttered. "I-I mean… congratulations Ana, that's amazing! God, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your big day…"

"It's fine Elliot," Ana giggled. "Some friends and family are actually coming over for a small get-together after the ceremony if you'd like to come by then. It'll be around three o'clock, and we're gonna have food and drinks and some music - it'll be a lot of fun."

Kate, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, shifted slightly on her feet, but didn't say anything.

A small smile lit up Elliot's handsome face. "Yeah, I think I will stop by. That is, um…" he hesitated, glancing over at Kate. "If it's alright with you?"

Kate, who had been gazing down at her hands, glanced back up at Elliot. She gave him a small smile as she crossed her arms protectively in front of her. "Of course it's alright."

Elliot nodded, smiling in relief. "Cool. Well I guess I'll see you all later. And by the way, Kate… you look really beautiful today."

Kate, who was wearing an a-line lavender dress, blushed and smiled at him. "Thank you."

The others said goodbye as Elliot left, waving at them before getting into his car. Ana and Kate stood together and watched him as he drove off into the distance, and Ana finally closed the door.

"Why did you have to invite him, Ana?" Kate said, her voice sounding distressed, and Ana looked over at her. "Now the party's going to be really awkward with him here."

"I'm sorry, but I think he just wants to clear the air with you," Ana said reasonably, unable to hold back her knowing smile. "He clearly came here to see _you_, Kate."

"No he didn't," Kate shook her head, still blushing as she avoided Ana's gaze. "He told us, he just happened to be in town, probably for his job. That's all."

"You seriously believe that?" Leila piped up from behind them, and Kate and Ana turned to look at her. She was wearing a cute navy blue crew neck dress, and was smirking at Kate with her hands on her hips. "I one-hundred percent guarantee he came here to declare his love for you, Kate."

"Oh shut up," Kate frowned as Ana giggled. "Don't we have to leave for the ceremony soon?"

"Yes we do," Carla reappeared from the kitchen with Ray in tow. "It's starting in an hour, and Ana needs to be there early. Plus, we need to find a decent parking space, so let's get going."

The girls all complied, grabbing their things and putting on theirs shoes. Ana made sure to go upstairs to her room and grab her garment bag with her graduation gown and hat before heading out the door with the rest of her family.

* * *

The graduation ceremony was long and drawn-out, which was to be expected. Ana and thousands of other WSU graduates were packed inside the stadium and sitting on folding chairs, and behind them were bleachers filled with friends and family. Once everyone was seated, they listened to over an hour of the Dean of Students and the commencement speaker drone on about what the future holds and how the class will undoubtedly go far in their careers. Once they started handing out diplomas, the graduates all began to line up by the stage, and the ceremony continued to drag on for what felt like an eternity. But when they finally read Ana's name and she stepped up onto that stage to accept her diploma, she felt the most amazing sense of relief and accomplishment.

_I did it!_

She heard her family cheering for her from the back section, and Ana had a big grin on her face as she walked across the stage and back to her seat.

The ceremony ended soon after the diplomas were passed out, and once the Dean ended his speech with a loud "Class dismissed", he was met with a resounding cheer and all the students moving the tassles on their hats to the left side. Some of the more exuberant students took their caps up and threw them up into the air, causing laughter to ripple across the crowd.

Everybody soon filed out of the stadium, and for the next five minutes or so, Ana wandered around searching for her family. Finally, she noticed Kate waving at her from beside Carla, Ray, and Leila, all of them grinning widely.

"Congratulations!" Kate squealed, and she and Leila practically bowled Ana over with a big hug.

"We're so proud of you sweetheart," Carla smiled, now pulling Ana into her arms.

"Thanks Mom," Ana grinned against her shoulder.

"Let's take some pictures," Ray said, holding up his camera.

For the next few minutes, they all posed for pictures together, Ana being sure to hold up her diploma for each one. Once they were finished, the five of them left the stadium and headed to the car, preparing themselves for the party happening at the house.

* * *

**~A few hours later~**

"Just try it, Leila."

Leila eyed the cup of light brownish soda in her hand with suspicion. "What's it taste like?"

"Drink it and find out," Ana said, crossing her arms while biting back a smirk.

"Something tells me it won't taste like ginger ale," Leila pursed her lips, giving the drink a little sniff. "Are you sure ginger beer isn't alcoholic?"

"We're sure," Kate said. "Just try it, you'll see."

Leila took a sip of the ginger beer, and after a moment her eyes practically bugged out of her skull. "Oh my God, it _burns_!" she cried out, covering her mouth while Kate and Ana laughed. "I hate you guys!"

Ana's graduation party was in full swing, with dozens of people, both family and friends, filling the Steele home. Ray and Carla were out mingling while their three daughters were currently in the dining room by the drinks bar, chatting with each other while trying all the different beverages. So far, Ana thought this party was a lot of fun… everyone seemed to be having a good time, but Ana couldn't help but notice Kate kept glancing toward the door as if waiting for a certain someone to arrive.

"I'm sure Elliot will come," Ana said to Kate, who turned to look at her. "He said he would."

"I know he said that," Kate muttered, looking away and blushing slightly. "But this wouldn't be the first time he just took off without warning. I'm trying not to get my hopes up."

Ana didn't say anything as she simply wrapped an arm around Kate's shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

The three sisters chatted with each other for about fifteen minutes as more people arrived, most of them approaching Ana to congratulate her on her graduation. Finally, a familiar face stepped through the front door, and Leila nudged Kate.

"Look Kate, he's here."

Sure enough, Elliot had arrived, still wearing the same outfit from earlier and with an envelope in hand. He gazed around the crowd of people, a rather nervous expression on his face.

"I think he's looking for you, Kate," Ana said, smirking at her sister, and Kate blushed once again. Elliot spotted the three girls before smiling and walking over to them.

"Hi Kate," he said, a little breathlessly. He was gazing at her like she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, and Kate went red before glancing down at her feet.

"Hi," she said quietly, glancing back up at him and smiling politely. "Glad you could make it."

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world," he said, still staring at her. After a moment, he cleared his throat and looked away toward Ana. "Er… I mean, Ana's graduation party I wouldn't miss. Congratulations Ana."

"Thanks Elliot," Ana said, her smile of amusement evident.

"Um… I got you this," he said, handing over the envelope he was holding. "It's not much, but it's the best I could do on short notice."

"You didn't have to do that, Elliot," Ana smiled, accepting the envelope. She almost wanted to laugh at how cute and flustered he was being. Kate would be an idiot not to take him back.

"It's no problem," he brushed off, reaching a hand up to scratch the back of his head.

"So, um… how's Christian?" Ana asked after a moment. She was trying to make conversation, but she was also curious as to how Christian was doing since he came back from Nevada with Leila.

"He's good," Elliot nodded. "He's in Chicago right now for some plastic molding company acquisition, so he probably won't be back for a few days. He told me to tell you congratulations on your graduation."

Ana stared at Elliot. "Oh," she said quietly, and she felt the color rise in her cheeks. "Um… tell him thanks."

While she was disappointed Christian was all the way in Chicago, she was touched and confused that he had gone through the trouble of telling Elliot to pass on his congratulations to her. Why didn't he call or text at least? Was it because he didn't want anything to do with her anymore? But if he didn't, why did he want Elliot to pass on a message from him…?

"Hey, so, Ana and I are just going to put this envelope on the gifts table," Leila suddenly said, grasping her sister's wrist. "C'mon Ana."

Before Ana could do anything, Leila had dragged her away across the dining room around a small crowd of people toward the family room, where the gift table sat. Once they were by the gift table, they could easily watch Kate and Elliot interact from a safe distance.

"Smooth, Leila," Ana said, putting the envelope on the table with the other gifts. "Do you think they suspect anything?"

"Oh shut up. Elliot obviously wanted to be alone with Kate," Leila said, crossing her arms as she watched the two of them. "I'll bet you ten bucks they kiss."

Ana watched Kate and Elliot too, and while she couldn't hear them from this distance, they were clearly having a serious conversation. Elliot had taken a step closer to Kate as he spoke to her, and Kate stared back at him, sadness and vulnerability shining through her eyes. She then said something, shaking her head before glancing down at her hands.

"D'you think she'll take him back?" Leila asked quietly, still watching the two of them.

"I hope so. Elliot's a good guy who just made a mistake," Ana said, also watching them. "And Kate's a forgiving person."

Elliot then said something else to Kate before taking another step forward. A moment later, he cupped her face in his hand and leaned in for a gentle kiss; Kate closed her eyes as she kissed him back, reaching forward to lightly grasp the lapels of his jacket.

"Oh my God," Leila gasped, exchanging an excited glance with Ana.

Kate and Elliot slowly pulled away from each other after a few seconds, their foreheads touching while Kate's fingers still played with his jacket. Elliot's hands went to Kate's waist, pulling her close, and the two lovebirds smiled at each other.

Ana's heart skipped a beat as she watched the two of them, a happy grin unable to help spreading across her face.

"Aww, they are so adorable together," Leila said happily, clasping her hands together. "I really hope they make it."

"Me too," Ana said sincerely. After a moment, however, her smile faded.

She realized in that moment that she wanted to talk to Christian. She wanted to see him and speak to him in person and thank him sincerely for what he did for Leila, despite the fact that he didn't want her to know about it. It was risky, and she had no idea what she was doing or how he was going to react, but she had to at least try.

For what she felt could potentially happen between her and Christian - what she _wanted_ to happen between her and Christian - was definitely worth the risk.

Ana's cell phone suddenly began to buzz in her cardigan pocket, and she pulled it out to check the screen. She didn't recognize the number, but she answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

She listened to the person on the other end speak for a few moments before a huge smile broke out across her face.

* * *

**A/N: Yay, so Kate and Elliot are back!**

**If you enjoyed this chapter, please review! Next chapter, Ana makes some real life decisions.**


	21. Admiration for her fine eyes

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Admiration for her fine eyes**

**~3 days later~**

Christian sat in the back of his Audi SUV as Taylor drove him through the city toward GEH, not looking forward to all the work he had to do this Monday morning. In addition to an internal meeting he needed to have with all his department heads, he was still trying to clinch that plastic molding company with a finalized deal. Going to Chicago to hash out negotiations seemed to help his chances on acquiring this company, so he hoped this final offer he was giving them would be sufficient.

It was a lot of work, but Christian didn't mind. Working this hard helped keep his mind off of Ana, who seemed to consume his thoughts every minute of every day.

Christian sighed before closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to banish any and all thoughts about her, but it was impossible. Ana had completely captivated him, and he was helpless to the pull he felt toward her… she was beautiful, smart, witty, and disarming, and her smile alone seemed to send his mind into a tailspin. She was everything he ever wanted in a woman and so much more.

And that's why he felt he should let her go.

Deep down, Christian knew he had to walk away. She had made it clear to him months ago how she really felt about him, and though he had tried his hardest to show her he wasn't as big an asshole as she thought he was, he had no idea if she now saw him in a different light. They had been friendly toward each other the last time she was in Seattle, but Christian knew that he could never be _just friends_ with Ana. He wanted more with her… so much more.

That's why it would be best for the both of them if he just walked away.

_Christ, this is hard._

Christian's phone suddenly chimed with an incoming text message, and he saw Elliot's name pop up on his screen:

_**Elliot**__: Just started the moving process. It's really happening! :) _

_**Christian**__: Congrats man!_

_**Elliot**__: Thanks dude. I'll text you later, I'm heading over to see Kate again._

_**Christian**__: Alright, talk to you soon_

Christian had finally come clean to Elliot about Kate, telling him that she felt the same way about him and that he, Christian, had been wrong about her intentions. He had also confessed to deleting Ana's Facebook message saying when she and Kate were in town, which definitely upset Elliot. However, in the end, Elliot had decided to forgo his anger and redouble his efforts on getting Kate back. He went down to Portland a few days ago to declare his love for her, and once she agreed to give him another chance, he began the process of moving his construction company down to Portland so he could be closer to her.

That sort of grand romantic gesture was very much an 'Elliot' thing to do, but instead of trying to stop him, Christian wanted to encourage him every step of the way. Christian had never understood it before, but now that he knew what it felt like to be in love with someone, he fully understood that desire to do everything in his power to win her over.

It was a fight worth having.

Taylor finally pulled up to GEH and parked in his usual reserved parking space. Christian got out and headed toward the garage elevator, which would take him up to the lobby where he would then take the elevator up to his office.

Once he reached the top floor, he saw his assistant Andrea sitting at her desk as usual. She looked up at him as he approached. "Good morning, sir," she smiled politely.

"'Morning Andrea. Any messages for me?"

"Just Ros wanting to go over some points before the department head meeting today," Andrea said, passing him a slip of paper. "Also, there's someone waiting for you in your office."

Christian accepted the paper from Andrea, and he raised his eyebrows when she didn't elaborate. "Who's in my office?"

Andrea looked up at him before glancing toward his office doors, clearly a bit uncomfortable. "Um… they asked me not to say, sir."

Christian now frowned, confused as to who would want to see him but remain anonymous. "Do they have security clearance?"

"Yes sir."

In that case, it was probably just Mia trying to mess with him. Christian rolled his eyes as he made his way over to his office doors, though he had a small grin on his face, ready to confront his little sister for bothering him while he was at work.

* * *

Ana felt utterly nervous. _What am I even doing here?_

She currently stood in the middle of Christian's giant office at GEH, staring out of the huge floor-to-ceiling windows that made her feel like she was miles above the city. She realized now that she probably should have dressed up a bit more since everyone here at GEH looked so polished and professional; instead, she was wearing skinny jeans and t-shirt with minimal makeup, which was way too casual for this environment. She was already here, though, and was resolved with what she was about to do, so she supposed there was no use worrying about it.

She glanced down at her watch before turning back to gaze out of the huge window, wrapping her arms around herself protectively as she waited.

The door suddenly opened, and Ana turned around: "Mia, what have I told you about -?"

Christian froze mid-sentence, staring at Ana standing in the middle of his office. She blushed before giving him a small smile and a wave.

"Not Mia," she said, dropping her hand. "Just me."

"Ana?" Christian said after a moment, his surprise registered on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the city today and I thought I would come by for a visit," Ana explained as Christian closed the door behind him and walked toward her. "I used the security pass you gave me when I was here a few weeks ago, I hope you don't mind."

She gestured to the lanyard around her neck, and Christian gave her a genuine smile. "No, I don't mind at all. It's really good to see you again."

Ana blushed again. "You too."

There was a brief silence between them, and Christian cleared his throat. "So, um… what brings you to the city today?"

"I'm apartment hunting," Ana said with a grin. "Charlie's helping me out. Seattle Independent Publishing called me up a few days ago and offered me a job, which I accepted."

"Ana, that's amazing," Christian grinned widely. "Congratulations! So you got the internship?"

"No I didn't," Ana shook her head. "They actually offered me a real job at the company, as an associate editor. Apparently they were so impressed by me in my interview they decided to give me a real shot, so I start next week."

"That's incredible, Ana," Christian smiled, gazing into her eyes and causing Ana's heartbeat to skyrocket. "And I can completely believe it. You'll be amazing at that new job, I just know it."

Ana couldn't fight her large smile. "Thank you."

Christian's smile faded after a moment and he cleared his throat, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I would suggest we go out and celebrate today, but if you're going apartment hunting with Charlie, I doubt you have time. Maybe all of us could have a drink or something once you're more settled here?"

"Yeah, definitely," Ana nodded. "It's going to be weird living away from home, especially after what just happened with Leila. But I know that my parents and Kate will take care of her, and she'll come and visit me whenever possible."

Christian blinked, raising his eyebrows. "Leila," he said, as if suddenly remembering her. "So you found her then?"

"Yeah," Ana said, smiling knowingly at him. "And I know the truth, so you don't have to lie to me."

Christian didn't say anything, so Ana continued: "I know that you went to Nevada to convince Jack to leave Leila so you could bring her home to us, and that's actually the reason why I wanted to come here today. I wanted to thank you for what you did for my sister. I understand that you didn't want anyone to know, and I can't even begin to imagine how much money you spent or what you sacrificed doing it, but I just wanted to come by here today to say thank you. On behalf of my whole family - thank you."

Christian continued to gaze at Ana, his expression filled with an emotion that she didn't recognize. "I appreciate you wanting to thank me for what I did, Ana, but you don't have to do it on behalf of your whole family. The truth is, I only did it for you."

Ana's heart rate began to skyrocket, and she couldn't seem to form any words. She could only stare at Christian.

"I suppose I should just be straight with you," he went on. "I hope you know that I still feel the same way about you, Ana, as I did when I asked you out in September. In fact, my feelings have only grown stronger since then. I think you're amazing, beautiful, funny, and smart, and when I'm with you the rest of the world seems to melt away and I can just be myself. A part of me wants to throw caution into the wind and beg you to give me a chance, but I'll settle for just asking you right now if there's even the slightest possibility your feelings for me have changed. If not, I won't bring it up with you again and I'll let you get on with your life…"

Ana hardly heard the last sentence he spoke because she suddenly moved toward him and pressed her lips against his in a passionate kiss.

It took a second for Christian to react, but after a moment he began to kiss her back with fervor, sliding his tongue against the seam of her lips. Ana's hands gripped the lapels of his suit jacket as his hands lifted to cup her face, brushing his thumbs against her cheeks in a way that made Ana feel cherished.

Their kiss escalated, with Christian's tongue tangling with Ana's in a sensual dance, causing her heart to pound even faster. He only pulled back slightly to capture her lips again in a deeper kiss, and Ana felt like she was on cloud nine.

He still cared about her, and she hadn't missed out on her chance... Ana doubted she had ever felt happier in her entire life.

With a groan, Christian moved his hands down to her waist, wrapping his arms securely around her before lifting her up so her feet no longer touched the ground, his lips still connected to hers. Ana smiled against him as her arms wrapped around his neck, one hand gripping the back of his head and her fingers tangling in his hair. Being pressed up against him like this caused her to feel his arousal, and her whole body tingled with excitement.

Suddenly, a voice sounded over an intercom system, causing their amazing moment to come to a grinding halt: "_Mr. Grey, Ms. Bailey will be over in a couple minutes to review notes for the meeting today."_

Christian pulled away from Ana before letting out a sigh, slowly setting her back down on her feet, his forehead pressed against hers. "One second," he whispered to her, kissing her on the forehead before walking over to the door.

Ana thought he was going to walk out of his office, but instead he pressed a button on the speaker to the left of the door: "Andrea, tell Ros to go over notes with Marc. I'm busy at the moment and I don't want to be disturbed."

"_Yes sir._"

"Christian, I can go. If you have work to do I don't want to be a distraction," Ana said as Christian walked back over to her.

"You are a distraction, but in the best way possible," Christian smiled, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her close. Ana couldn't help but smile. "I have a meeting with some of my employees in an hour, and my CFO just wants to go over some notes beforehand. It's not important though, and I can blow her off for you."

"Have I turned you into a slacker, Mr. Grey?" Ana teased, reaching up to grasp at his suit jacket lapels once again.

"If by a slacker you mean a very happy man, then yes," Christian chuckled, leaning down to brush his lips against Ana's again. "Absolutely you have."

Ana smiled as they kissed again, her heart feeling like it was about to leap out of her chest. After a few moments, Christian pulled away and took Ana's hand in his own, lacing their fingers together before leading her over to his couch near the window.

"Are you staying the night here in Seattle?" he asked as they both sat down on the couch, their hands still linked.

"Yes I am," Ana said, smiling shyly at him.

"In that case, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" Christian smiled back at her, bringing their joint hands up to his lips and kissing her knuckles.

Ana felt like she could melt into a puddle right onto the floor. "I'd love to."

Christian gave her a wide, panty-dropping smile, and Ana couldn't help but smile widely back, excitement and happiness filling her heart.

"So it's been a million years already, huh?" Christian asked humorously, and Ana's smile turned a bit questioning.

"What?"

Christian shook his head, glancing down at their joined hands again. "It's nothing… I'm joking. It's just that the last time I asked you out on a date, you said that you would never go out with me in a million years."

Ana's smile faded into a more somber expression. "Oh."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry for even bringing it up."

"It's okay. I think it needed to be brought up at some point," Ana sighed. "I hope you know that I feel awful about everything I said to you on that day, and I hope you'll forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive, Ana," Christian insisted. "I'm hardly proud of the things I said to you that day either. When I think back to the way I acted around you when we first met, I can easily see why you thought I was nothing more than an arrogant asshole. I don't blame you in the slightest for rejecting me the way that you did."

"I did think you were arrogant, but only because I didn't want to see the truth," Ana countered. "I was way too prejudiced to actually try to get to know you. I easily believed those stupid lies Jack told me, and I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for jumping to conclusions about you."

"I could have been nicer too," Christian said. "When I first realized I liked you, I never even tried to pursue you or make you feel special. You deserve to have a guy treat you like a queen, Ana, and that's exactly what I should have done… but I didn't, and I deeply regret my behavior. After you turned me down, I realized how much of an asshole I was being to you, so I began to work on becoming the man that you deserve."

"Is that why you asked Leila not to tell anyone what you did for her?" Ana asked quietly. "Because you didn't want me to think you were just showing off your money and power?"

"Basically," Christian nodded reluctantly. "You'd called me an arrogant asshole, and you weren't wrong, but I wanted to help you with the Leila situation while proving that I wasn't expecting anything in return. Also, part of my motivation of going to Nevada was getting Jack out of our lives once and for all."

"That is a definite plus," Ana gave a weak smile. "But I hope you know I don't think you're an arrogant asshole, Christian. Once I read the email you sent me, everything became a lot clearer, and I realized I had been wrong about you since the beginning."

Christian raised his eyebrows. "I'd wanted to know what you thought about that email, but I was too afraid to ask. When I wrote it I was still angry from our argument, and I must have rewritten it a hundred times before finally sending it to you. I hope it didn't come off as bitter or mean."

"It wasn't, Christian. I'm very glad you sent it to me," Ana insisted, giving him a grateful smile. "I didn't know it at the time, but I really needed to hear things from your perspective so I knew how blinded I'd become. If you hadn't sent that email, I wouldn't be sitting here with you right now."

Christian smiled, the affection in his eyes clear as he raised a hand to tuck a piece of hair behind Ana's ear. "It took us awhile to get to this point, but I'm happy we're finally here. I hope you'll forgive me for my behavior toward you when we first met, and for everything I said to you on that awful day."

"I will forgive you, but only if you'll forgive me for making unfair assumptions about you and falsely accusing you of being a terrible person," Ana said regretfully. Christian simply gazed into her eyes as he continued to smile at her, cupping her face in his hand and brushing his thumb along her cheek.

"It's already forgiven, baby."

~/~

Even though Christian had a meeting soon, he hardly seemed to care as both he and Ana lounged on his couch together for the next forty-five minutes, chatting with each other. Ana had tucked her feet up under her butt while Christian had removed his suit jacket, rolling up the sleeves of his button-down shirt while stretching out his arm along the back of the couch behind Ana's head. Their hands were still joined together, resting on Christian's lap, while Ana had begun idly brushing his fingers with her thumb.

"Oh my God, I almost forgot," Ana said suddenly, a grin popping onto her face. "Elliot and Kate are back together! Did you hear about that?"

"I had spoken to Elliot about Kate a few days ago," Christian nodded, also smiling. "He was obviously upset about what I'd done, but in the end he decided to just focus on getting Kate back. From what I hear they're both very happy together."

"They are, and I'm sure Elliot understands you were only looking out for him," Ana said fairly. "I hear he's moving his business down to Portland for her too."

"He is," Christian confirmed. "And if you weren't already moving here to Seattle, I'd do the same for you."

Ana blinked, surprised. "Really?"

"Really," Christian smiled, the sincerity in his eyes making Ana's heart pound. "I'm very serious about us, Ana. I want something real with you, more than I've ever wanted anything in my entire life. I'm sorry if you feel it's too soon for us to discuss this, but I just want you to know… I'm all in."

Ana felt tears in her eyes as she smiled back at him. "I am too."

Christian smiled like a man who had just won the lottery, and he leaned in to kiss Ana once again. Ana kissed him back, wanting this moment to last forever.

The intercom next to the door suddenly buzzed. "_Mr. Grey, your meeting is about to start._"

Christian pulled away, lowering his head and closing his eyes in annoyance. "Dammit," he muttered, looking back up at Ana. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"It's okay," Ana smiled, squeezing his hand. "I'm seeing you for our date tonight, right?"

Christian smiled. "That's right. I'll pick you up from Charlie's place at seven, so don't be late."

Ana leaned forward, pecking him on the lips with a sweet smile. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Christian leaned in for another kiss, and it was another minute or so before they could finally extricate themselves from each other and get up off the couch. They then left Christian's office together, still holding hands, and when Ana began to head over to the elevators, Christian pulled her in for one last kiss before finally letting her go.

Ana walked to the elevators, trying to hide her blushing face from Andrea, who she knew was staring at her. The stupid grin refused to leave her face, and it was with total and complete excitement as she anticipated her very first date with the man of her dreams.

Everything finally felt absolutely perfect.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Hope you all enjoyed that :) **

**I always hate to say goodbye :'( Next chapter, I'll be wrapping up this story with an epilogue. Thank you all so much for reading, and if you enjoyed this chapter please leave a review!**


	22. Dearest, loveliest Anastasia!

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy the epilogue to this story.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Epilogue: Dearest, loveliest Anastasia!**

**~9 months later~**

The sound of a blaring alarm clock pulled Ana from her sleep.

Christian always set his alarm super early, even on the weekends, and this Saturday morning was no different. Ana groaned as she lifted her head off of Christian's chest, which had become her makeshift pillow at some point during the night. Her hair was a snarled mess, and her eyelids were too heavy to keep open, and after a moment or two she succumbed to her exhaustion and placed her head back onto Christian's chest, slipping back into nothingness.

Christian shifted underneath her as he reached over to the bedside table, turning his phone alarm off. "'Morning baby," he yawned, running his hand gently along her back, clearly wanting to wake her up too.

"Mm," Ana groaned, still too tired to get up. She nuzzled her face into his chest, keeping her eyes closed.

"Come on, baby. We have to get up soon," Christian murmured, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead. "We're heading down to Portland today to visit your family and Elliot."

"'M too tired," Ana muttered, her voice sounding muffled against his shirt. "Five more minutes."

Christian chuckled softly. "You always want five more minutes, babe. And I always end up being stuck underneath you whenever you do."

Ana couldn't help but smile against him, and she immediately slid her arms around his torso and hugged him tightly. Christian chuckled again.

"You're cute in the mornings," he said, bringing his hand up to brush along her messy hair. Ana finally opened her eyes and lifted her face, gazing at Christian with a small smile on her face.

"And you're cute all the time," she said, moving up so her head was more level with his, and Christian cupped her face in his hand before kissing her. Early on in their relationship, Ana had been embarrassed to kiss him right when they woke up due to morning breath, but he had made it clear to her that he didn't care about that, so Ana decided not to let it bother her.

In the nine short months since Ana and Christian had begun dating, the two of them had fallen head over heels in love, and Ana could hardly believe this was her life now. After getting the associate editor job at SIP, Ana had ended up bunking with Charlie at her apartment. It was a bit cramped, with the two women having to share the one bedroom, but it ended up not being a problem because Ana had soon begun spending all of her evenings over at Christian's. Ana still split the rent with Charlie until about four months later, when Christian officially asked Ana to move in with him at Escala. She happily accepted, and the two of them had been living in domestic bliss ever since.

Getting to be with Christian was a dream come true for Ana, and it wasn't just because his high-ranking status in Seattle allowed them to go to fancy galas and events together nearly every week. Christian was sweet, caring, kind, and the most generous man she'd ever known; he adored everything about Ana, which everyone around them could hardly fail to notice. He was still a bit shy in public at times, but he had opened up a lot more since he and Ana had gotten together, and Ana had learned not to judge him for his character flaws since he didn't judge her for her own.

"If we get up right now, we might have time for shower sex," Christian now murmured against her lips, and Ana smiled against him.

"So what are we waiting for?" she whispered. In a moment, she had jumped up off the bed and rushed toward the en suite. Christian laughed before quickly getting up off the bed and following her; he scooped her up off her feet before either of them reached the bathroom, and Ana squealed in delight as he carried her bridal style in his arms over the threshold.

* * *

A few hours later, Ana and Christian were on their way to Portland. Ray and Carla were throwing a big barbecue for all their friends and family, and Christian and Ana agreed to drive down for the day to attend. Christian took the larger Audi SUV since they were lugging along some camp chairs and coolers with them. Both he and Ana were dressed down in casual summer clothes, which included shorts, t-shirts, sunglasses, and baseball caps.

"It's too bad Charlie couldn't come along with us today," Ana said, texting on her cell phone. It was such a gorgeous day out today that Ana had cracked the window open, allowing the wind to blow through their hair. "It sucks that she has to work at the campus library on weekends now."

"Hey, if that job helps pay for her tuition, it's hardly a bad thing," Christian said. "Plus she seems a lot happier since she and Jose broke up."

Charlie had decided to break up with Jose about three months ago, having felt bored and stifled by their relationship for too long. It was apparently pretty awkward though, since Jose either couldn't or wouldn't understand that their relationship was actually ended. For the next three weeks or so he proceeded to act as if they were still a couple, and Charlie had to constantly repeat herself, as clearly as possible, that they were over.

"Charlie does seem happier, but I think it has more to do with the fact she's started spending time with your cousin William," Ana said, shooting Christian a grin. "I know that he likes her, don't even try to deny it."

"I wasn't going to deny it," Christian chuckled. "I know that William's been coming by a lot more often, and I'm pretty sure it's not for you or me."

It was true, since Ana and Christian had gotten together, William had come by to visit more and more often. It didn't escape their notice that he often asked about Ana's 'cute' friend or that he would spend hours in conversation with Charlie if the four of them happened to be hanging out together. Charlie, whom Ana had expected to act shy and awkward around William, really didn't seem to mind his attention. Perhaps since the two of them had started out as friends she wasn't as uncomfortable around him as she would be if he were just some dude hitting on her. Ana sincerely hoped Charlie and William could find their way into having a real relationship - Ana only wanted what was best for Charlie, and William seemed to truly care about her.

Ana and Christian finally arrived in Portland. They pulled up in front of the Steele's house and saw that there were already several cars parked out on the street; Christian parked the car before he and Ana began unloading the trunk.

"Hey, there they are!" Ray said jovially when he saw Ana and Christian walk around the side of the house and into the backyard, where everybody else was hanging out. Some of the neighbors were standing around and chatting while Carla and Leila were both sitting together at the picnic table on the patio deck sipping lemonade. Ray stood at the grill flipping hamburgers by himself while Kate and Elliot were at the far end of the yard by the tree line, sitting on the swing bench together. They both grinned and waved at Christian and Ana before getting to their feet.

It had been over two months since Kate and Ana had last seen each other, so they immediately ran toward one another, squealing excitedly before they embraced. Kate looked gorgeous today in cutoff jean shorts and a striped tank top with her blond hair in a low side pony.

"Oh my God, I missed you!" Ana smiled widely, squeezing her sister tightly. "How've you been?"

"We've been great! I finally got that management position at the coffee shop," Kate said, the two of them finally breaking apart. "And I heard you got a promotion too!"

"Yup. I was promoted from associate editor to actual editor," Ana giggled. "Really moving up the corporate ladder."

"Don't sell yourself short, babe," Christian admonished his girlfriend as he and Elliot moved toward each other, shaking hands in greeting. "You got a new office and pay raise with that promotion."

"Really?" Elliot asked, smiling brightly at Ana. "That's awesome! Congratulations Ana."

"Thanks," Ana smiled at him.

"Hey, are you even going to say hi to me?" Leila now approached the group, smiling at Ana with her hands on her hips.

"Ladybug!" Ana moved toward her little sister and wrapped her up in her arms, practically crushing her in a hug. Leila laughed, hugging her back. "How've you been? How are the science camps going?"

"They've been really good," Leila pulled away from Ana and smiled at her. Since the whole incident with Jack Hyde, Ray and Carla had been focusing their efforts on helping Leila get more structure in her day-to-day life, so over summer break they enrolled her in several academic camps and science programs. One of the science camps she was enrolled in had a horticulture program she liked and was genuinely interested in.

"Hey, wanna see my new garden?" Leila asked excitedly, pointing to a newly-dug patch of dirt near the house which had several rows of newly-sprouted plants. "This program I'm in is showing us how to plant and fertilize strawberries…"

The five of them moved over to the little garden Leila had made so they could have a look, and Ana felt so proud of her little sister. Leila had been doing so much better since Jack had left Portland and ceased communication with her, and Ana hoped she would continue to thrive because of that.

True to his word, Jack had gone to stay in New York in Christian's penthouse, and he hadn't come back to the West coast at all since then. Based on what Christian's sources were saying, Jack threw big loud parties practically every night for all his neighbors and other famous NYC socialites. Christian didn't know how Jack was paying for these parties since he didn't have a job, therefore Ana suggested they try to find out if he was doing something illegal to get his funds. Christian initially didn't want to since he didn't want anything to do with Jack anymore, but eventually agreed with Ana that Jack should pay for what he put both their families through the previous year. Christian and his people were currently investigating Jack's finances and would hopefully have something to pin him with in the next few days.

Leila began explaining the different products she used on her garden. "I've been making my own homemade insecticide out of garlic, water, and dish soap that's actually been working really well," she explained. "I've found that aphids like to chew on my strawberry leaves, but the garlic helps keep them away."

"That's really cool Leila," Kate said, smiling widely at her sister. "I'm so proud of you."

Leila blushed and grinned happily. Before anyone could say anything else, however, Ray called them from the grill.

"Hey everyone, the food's ready!"

Everyone now began to walk toward the picnic table, ready to partake in Ray and Carla's delicious barbecue lunch.

* * *

A few hours later, lunch was over with, and Kate, Carla, and Leila made their way inside to clean up and wash the dishes. Ray and Elliot were on the patio, chatting with the neighbors who had come by for the barbecue, and Ana and Christian grabbed a couple water bottles before sitting down at the picnic table.

"God, I'm so full," Ana said, taking a small sip of her water. "My mom said she was going to bring out some dessert, but I don't think I could eat another bite."

"Me neither. Your dad's grilled hamburgers are amazing," Christian grinned, lifting his own bottle to his lips and taking a sip.

"He and my mom are going to pack all the leftovers on us, I guarantee it," Ana giggled.

Christian's cell phone suddenly buzzed with an alert, and he picked it up to look at what it was. Ana, who was used to Christian's crazy schedule, figured it was just something work-related and didn't say anything. However, Christian smiled at the screen before holding it out for Ana to see.

"Looks like someone we know just made the news," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Ana looked at his phone screen before her mouth dropped open in shock: it was a news story, and at the top was a picture of Jack in handcuffs being flanked by two cops escorting him out of a building. The headline read: _**NEW YORK MAN ARRESTED FOR EMBEZZLING MONEY TO THROW PARTIES, FACING 20+ YEARS IN PRISON**_

"Oh my God, he was actually arrested," Ana gasped, her eyes skimming over the article. "Was this you?"

"Some of my guys were working together with the NYPD," Christian said, turning the phone back around and looking at the screen. "So we likely had something to do with it. I'd have to get a full report from the police in order to know for sure."

"Did you want to go do that now? I can tell my family you need to head back to Seattle for a work emergency," Ana said, glancing over at her father sitting a few yards away.

"No, that's okay. I'll have Taylor get the report for me tomorrow," Christian said, turning his phone off and slipping it back into his pocket, much to Ana's surprise. "I just want to enjoy today with you."

Ana blinked, raising her eyebrows. "Are you sure? You're usually a total workaholic, and putting your mortal enemy away in prison for good is kind of a good excuse to be working."

"My 'mortal enemy'?" Christian chuckled, sounding amused. "Is he like my Lex Luther or something?"

"Yeah, basically," Ana said. "Are you sure you don't want to call up the NYPD right now?"

"Completely sure," Christian said confidently, and he held out his hand for Ana to take. "Want to go take a walk around the yard?"

Ana agreed, figuring he was still processing what had happened with Jack, and took his hand. The two of them began heading toward the far end of the yard by the tree line, their fingers laced together while chatting with one another about everything and nothing.

"…Do you remember the first day we met?" Christian suddenly asked after a lull in the conversation. Ana couldn't help but giggle.

"Yeah, it was my dad's birthday party last year," she smiled. "You said something rude about me to Elliot, and I decided right then and there that I hated your guts."

Christian cringed, causing Ana to laugh again. "Yeah, that wasn't my finest hour. But I changed my mind about you soon enough."

Ana looked over at him. "When did you change your mind about me?" she asked, and he glanced over at her. "I'm just curious… you seemed so indifferent to me at first, and I was so rude to you, I just don't know what I did to make you attracted to me."

"I'm not sure what it was," Christian said after a moment of thinking. "I always thought you were very pretty, but I don't know what it was that made me want to date you. For those first few months after meeting you, more and more I found that I couldn't stop thinking about you, and pretty soon I was in the middle before I knew I had begun."

Ana smiled at that answer. "Well, my attraction to you definitely started a bit later. I feel like it began when I got to see you at GEH for the first time after my interview at SIP…"

Christian didn't answer, and Ana realized he was no longer walking beside her. She stopped and turned around, noticing he had stopped walking a few paces behind her. He was looking at her with an expression of such love and emotion it took her by surprise.

"Ana," he said. "I'm sorry, but I feel like I can't wait any longer…"

With that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box before getting down on one knee.

Ana's heart suddenly went into overdrive as her hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide. "Oh my God," she whispered, tears blurring her vision.

"Ana, you are the love of my life," Christian said, his voice hoarse from emotion as he gazed up at her. "You are the most amazing woman I know, and every single day I feel so incredibly lucky to call you mine. Will you marry me?"

Ana didn't even have to look at the ring he was presenting her to know her answer. "Yes, of course!" she said, tears streaming down her face.

Christian's wide smile was so full of love and happiness, Ana couldn't resist throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him the moment he got to his feet. Christian wrapped his arms around Ana's body, lifting her up off her feet as he kissed her back just as exuberantly.

They heard cheers in the distance, and they broke apart to see everybody was on the patio watching the two of them. They all began clapping while Elliot gave an excited whoop.

Ana grinned and giggled, embarrassed but also pleased that everyone she loved got to witness the happiest moment of her life. "Did they know you were going to propose?" she asked Christian.

"Your dad knew," he said, placing Ana back down on her feet. "I asked for his blessing a few weeks ago."

"I love you so much, Mr. Grey," Ana smiled, gazing into Christian's eyes while cupping his face in her hands.

"I love you too, Future Mrs. Grey," Christian grinned, causing Ana to giggle. "Do you want to put on the ring now?"

"Oh my God, the ring!" Ana said, her eyes widening. "I almost forgot."

Christian chuckled and he took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. It was a perfect fit, and the beautiful square-cut diamond looked absolutely stunning.

"I love it," Ana said, her eyes welling with tears again as she turned her eyes back up to Christian. "It's perfect."

"So are you," Christian said lovingly, cupping her face in his hand before wiping her tear away with his thumb.

Ana didn't say anything else as she leaned up to kiss Christian once again, her joy and happiness filling her with such contentment she almost couldn't believe this was actually her life.

It was funny how a man whom she had initially hated and believed to be the most arrogant asshole in the world would end up being the man she would spend the rest of her life with. Ana may have had her own faults, but Christian was the man who had helped her become a better person, and she only hoped she did the same for him. Both of them had grown a lot since last year, and Ana knew there was nothing that could stand in their way.

Ana couldn't wait for the rest of her life with Christian to begin.

* * *

**THE END **

**A/N: Thank you all for reading! :) If you enjoyed it, please review.**

**Special thanks to Jane Austen and her beautiful story **_**Pride & Prejudice**_ **which provided the inspiration for this fic. This was definitely a passion project for me, so thank you to those who enjoyed this story as much as I did :) **

**Until next time,**

**StrawberryPajamas**


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